Errors in prenatal diagnosis

Prenatal screening and diagnosis are integral to antenatal care worldwide. Prospective parents are offered screening for common fetal chromosomal and structural congenital malformations. In most developed countries, prenatal screening is routinely offered in a package that includes ultrasound scan of the fetus and the assay in maternal blood of biochemical markers of aneuploidy. Mistakes can arise at any point of the care pathway for fetal screening and diagnosis, and may involve individual or corporate systemic or latent errors. Special clinical circumstances, such as maternal size, fetal position, and multiple pregnancy, contribute to the complexities of prenatal diagnosis and to the chance of error. Clinical interventions may lead to adverse outcomes not caused by operator error. In this review I discuss the scope of the errors in prenatal diagnosis, and highlight strategies for their prevention and diagnosis, as well as identify areas for further research and study to enhance patient safety.