Procedure-related miscarriages and down syndromeâaffected births: implications for prenatal testing based on women's preferences

Abstract

Pregnant women tend to find the prospect of a Down syndrome-affected birth more burdensome than a procedure-related miscarriage, calling into question the equal risk threshold for prenatal diagnosis. Individual preferences for those outcomes varied profoundly. Current guidelines do not appropriately consider individual preferences in lower-risk women, and the process for developing prenatal testing guidelines should be reconsidered to better reflect individual values.