Should the NIPT test be made available to all pregnant women? Why is there a fuss about it?
1. What is NIPT?
NIPT stands for Non-Invasive Prenatal Test. Before the test, blood is taken to analyze the unborn baby's DNA. It can be determined whether the unborn child has Down syndrome or Edwards or Patau syndrome. The test is not always completely reliable. Unlike amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling, NIPT does not pose an increased risk.
2. That's good news, right? Why all the fuss?
When the NIPT test becomes available to everyone, more and more people will be given the choice to choose whether they would like to keep a child with Down syndrome. In Iceland and Denmark, for example, almost no children with Down are born since they introduced a screening. Not everyone agrees.
3. Who is the test for at the moment?
Only women with an increased risk are currently eligible for an NIPT test. Some women who would like a test move to Belgium, where the test is already available. On Tuesday, Minister Edith Schippers indicated that she cannot take the decision about the NIPT test just like that.
The national government has produced a brochure about screening for Down syndrome.
