Guest guest Posted April 30, 2003 Report Share Posted April 30, 2003 Full item loaded into files section Genetic test blunders risk needless abortions 19:00 30 April 03 Exclusive from " New Scientist " Many pregnant women in the US have had risky and unnecessary fetal tests following genetic screening of themselves and their partners. And some may have terminated healthy pregnancies after muddles or irregularities in genetic tests on their fetuses. This is the warning being issued by medical geneticists who have assessed the outcomes of some of the tens of thousands of DNA tests carried out every month in the US as part of the world's largest screening programme for cystic fibrosis (see Cystic fibrosis: key facts " , below). Some of the companies carrying out the tests blame doctors for misinterpreting complex results or requesting the wrong tests. But geneticists say a few companies are at fault too, for failing to stick to clinical guidelines. And cystic fibrosis is just the first of many diseases for which genetic testing is likely to become routine. If mistakes are being made already, experts warn, what will happen as screening becomes more and more common? Government regulation of genetic testing in many countries is poor, they say. leon Oz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 30, 2003 Report Share Posted April 30, 2003 Full item loaded into files section Genetic test blunders risk needless abortions 19:00 30 April 03 Exclusive from " New Scientist " Many pregnant women in the US have had risky and unnecessary fetal tests following genetic screening of themselves and their partners. And some may have terminated healthy pregnancies after muddles or irregularities in genetic tests on their fetuses. This is the warning being issued by medical geneticists who have assessed the outcomes of some of the tens of thousands of DNA tests carried out every month in the US as part of the world's largest screening programme for cystic fibrosis (see Cystic fibrosis: key facts " , below). Some of the companies carrying out the tests blame doctors for misinterpreting complex results or requesting the wrong tests. But geneticists say a few companies are at fault too, for failing to stick to clinical guidelines. And cystic fibrosis is just the first of many diseases for which genetic testing is likely to become routine. If mistakes are being made already, experts warn, what will happen as screening becomes more and more common? Government regulation of genetic testing in many countries is poor, they say. leon Oz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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