Ethical Concerns about Genetic Screening: The Down's Dilemma

Antenatal screening for Down's syndrome has been part of the routine landscape of obstetrical practice since the late 1980s. Since that time genetic markers used to screen for Down's syndrome have been refined, and antenatal screening is now available in the first trimester of a woman's pregnancy. This article examines the ethical concerns of antenatal screening for Down's syndrome. Personal autonomy, right to privacy, justice, nonmalefacence, beneficence, and veracity are important values to the discussion of antenatal testing. Ethical concerns about these values impact both families and health care providers. Now that first-trimester screening is available, will more pregnant women get the screening?