Detailed Prenatal Testing limits Other Tests

Prenatal testing can help determine whether or not a child will be born with a genetic problem like down syndrome. Many of these tests are expensive and some are invasive. A new study evaluated whether providing detailed information about these tests and also providing the tests at no cost to women, would affect the decision to undergo testing. “All women need to have the opportunity to really understand these tests before making a decision to undergo any of the tests.” Dr. Miriam Kuppermann and co-authors developed a computerized decision support guide containing detailed information about prenatal testing. Half of more than 700 women were randomly assigned to view the computerized video and receive testing at no cost. The other half did not view the video and also did not receive free testing. “Women who had the opportunity to view the program were less likely to undergo diagnostic testing than women who did not have a study intervention. They better understood prenatal testing and its outcomes.” The study appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association.