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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

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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

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