Down's syndrome screening is unethical: views of today's research ethics committees

Comparing Germany and Israel regarding debates on policy-making at the beginning of life: PGD, NIPT and their paths of routinization

Definition

The routinization of prenatal diagnosis is the source of bioethical and policy debates regarding choice, autonomy, access, and protection. To understand these debates in the context of cultural diversity and moral pluralism, we compare Israel and Germany, focusing on two recent repro-genetic “hot spots” of such policy-making at the beginning of life: pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and non-invasive prenatal genetic testing (NIPT), two cutting-edge repro-genetic technologies that are regulated and viewed very differently in Germany and Israel, reflecting different medicolegal policies as well as public and bioethical considerations.

Arguments

First, we compare policy-making in the context of PGD for HLA (human leukocyte antigen) typing, used to create sibling donors, approved in Israel under specific conditions while prohibited in Germany. Second, we compare policy-making in the context of NIPT, which came under fire in Germany, while in Israel there has been little public debate about it.

Conclusion

Both countries justify their contrasting policies as reflecting a concern for the well-being and care of the embryo/child, thus highlighting different concepts of embryo/child protection, (relational) autonomy, family relations, and the impact of religion and history on the promotion/protection of life. We use the juxtaposition of PGD and NIPT to highlight some inconsistencies in policies concerning the protection of extra- and intra-corporeal embryos. We conclude by drawing on the comparison to show how national variations exist alongside co-evolution.

Pregnancy Centers: A Clear Purpose of Medicine with Coherent Ethics

What is the purpose of medicine? This fundamental question is at the heart of the criticisms faced by pregnancy centers (PCs) and accusations that they are unethical. PCs maintain that the purpose of medicine is to treat and prevent disease. Because pregnancy is not a disease, PCs do not advocate for elective abortion or contraceptives. PCs view the function of values (e.g., autonomy) as constraints upon physicians that prevent physical and ethical harms. Their critics either embrace an ill-defined purpose of medicine such as promoting well-being or conflate the value of autonomy with medicine's purpose. This leads to a subjective view of medicine and changes the relationship from physician-patient to vendor-customer. This subjective nature along with its attendant vendor-customer relationship cannot solve for current or future ethical problems such as sex-selective abortion and its fatal discrimination against females.

SUMMARY

Pregnancy Centers embrace a traditional "treat and prevent disease" purpose of medicine.  This clear and objective purpose logically leads to not advocating for abortion or contraceptives.  The authors outline a coherent ethical structure outlining the role values play in regards to this purpose. This is contrasted with the current ill-defined purpose within medicine today that has led to an inconsistent change of the physician-patient relationship to a vendor-customer one, ethical incoherence, and several attendant harms, most notably sex-selective abortion.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of non-invasive prenatal DNA testing for trisomy 21: implications for implementation in China

OBJECTIVES

To systematically review clinical validation studies of massive parallel sequencing (MPS) technology in prenatal screening for trisomy 21 and to explore the potential implementation strategies in China compared with those in developing countries.

METHODS

Searches of the Cochrane Library, Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, Biosis Previews, and three major Chinese databases were performed to identify all the peer-reviewed articles published between 1 January 2011 and 15 October 2016. We also reviewed and discussed the potential challenges and risks in the future promotion of MPS technology in China compared with those in developing countries.

RESULTS

The weighted pooled sensitivity and specificity of MPS technology for the prenatal detection of trisomy 21 were 99.7% (95% CI 98.3-99.9%) and 100.0% (95% CI 99.9-100.0%), respectively, based on a meta-analysis of 44 included studies. An additional meta-analysis was conducted based on the 25 included studies that were performed in medical/genetic sequencing institutions in mainland China, showing a weighted pooled sensitivity and specificity of MPS technology as 99.5% (95% CI 98.7-99.8%) and 100% (95% CI 99.9-100%), respectively.

CONCLUSION

MPS technology offers effective screening performance for trisomy 21 but should be cautiously promoted due to its clinical limitations and challenges that stem from the ethics and business aspects. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Informing on prenatal screening for Down syndrome prior to conception. An empirical and ethical perspective

In most Western countries, information on prenatal screening for Down syndrome is provided in the first-trimester of pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to examine whether this information should additionally be provided before pregnancy to improve the informed decision-making process. In an empirical study, we obtained data from pregnant women with respect to their preferences regarding information on prenatal screening preconceptionally. Questionnaire data (n = 510) showed that 55.7% of responding women considered participating in prenatal screening for Down syndrome before pregnancy. 28.0% of women possessed information on prenatal screening preconceptionally. 84.6% preferred not to receive information preconceptionally in retrospect. In an ethical analysis, we elaborated on these preferences by weighing pros and cons. We considered two arguments against the provision of information on prenatal screening preconceptionally: women's preference to receive information in a step-by-step manner, and the risk of providing a directive message. We identified three reasons supporting its provision preconceptionally: the likelihood of making an informed decision could, firstly, be increased by "unchaining" the initial information from possible subsequent decisions, and, secondly, by providing women sufficient time to deliberate. Thirdly, the probability of equal access to prenatal screening may increase. To conclude with, we propose to incorporate an information offer on prenatal screening for Down syndrome in preconception care consultations. By offering information, instead of providing information, prospective parents are enabled to either accept or decline the information, which respects both their right to know and their right not-to-know.

The triple test as a screening technique for Down syndrome: reliability and relevance

The triple test is a second trimester screening test used to identify those pregnant women who should be offered a diagnostic test to identify whether their fetus has an aneuploidy. It was first described in 1988, but has largely been superseded by newer tests either conducted earlier in the first trimester (ie, the combined test, using ultrasound measurement of nuchal translucency, pregnancy-associated plasma protein A, and human chorionic gonadotrophin [hCG]) or in the second trimester (ie, the quadruple test, using α-fetoprotein, hCG, uE3, and inhibin). These newer tests have been introduced because they offer greater detection and lower screen positive results thereby enhancing diagnosis rates, while decreasing the risk of iatrogenic harm caused by the invasive testing required when collecting suitable sample tissue. Noninvasive alternatives to the triple test have been identified, but these have not been adopted despite 13 years of development. It is likely, therefore, that the triple test (or variants thereof) will continue to be used in routine antenatal care for the foreseeable future.

The ethics of abortions for fetuses with congenital abnormalities

Abortion remains a highly contentious moral issue, with the debate usually framed as a battle between the fetus's right to life and the woman's right to choose. Often overlooked in this debate is the impact of the concurrent legalization of abortion and the development of new prenatal screening tests on the birth prevalence of many inherited diseases. Most proponents of abortion support abortion for fetuses with severe congenital diseases, but there has unfortunately been, in our opinion, too little debate over the moral appropriateness of abortion for much less severe congenital conditions such as Down's syndrome, deafness, and dwarfism. Due to scientific advances, we are looking at a future in which prenatal diagnosis will be safer and more accurate, raising the specter, and the concomitant ethical concerns, of wholesale abortions. Herein, we present a reframing of the abortion debate that better encompasses these conditions and offers a more nuanced position.

The ethics of antenatal screening: lessons from Canute

Modern medicine has given us the power to identify many diseases before they occur and apply preventative measures so that morbidity and mortality may be avoided. When these screening measures are offered to someone who is capable of making an informed decision to proceed, they may be uncontroversial but may actually cause more harm than good. In antenatal screening, it is difficult to define who the patient is, because there are several possibilities: the pregnant woman, the foetus, or the family. Consequently, it can be difficult to identify whether the treatment offered is in the best interest of all concerned. Our growing knowledge about the human genome will in future give us more power to be able to identify undesirable traits, but there is no strict definition where the line of acceptability lies. The eugenic excesses of the mid-20(th) century are often cited as a reason why antenatal screening is bad. The story of King Canute informs us that defining a 'line in the sand' cannot prevent the rising tide of medical capability overwhelming any arbitrary level of acceptability. This paper discusses the history of eugenics from Sparta to the modern day and attempts to give some perspective on this crucial policy area. No one paper can provide the answer: it is necessary that society as a whole debates where it wishes to go...

[Thoughts about screening for Down syndrome]

The more important clinical manifestations and the opportunities of screening for Down syndrome are briefly summarized in this paper. The methods used for screening (biochemical markers, fetal ultrasound signs) and the most important screening tests (combined screening, integrated screening) are described. Then, the author analyses the situation of screening in Hungary, and he emphasizes that maternal age over 35 years, and low serum level of alpha-fetoprotein cannot be the only indication for amniocentesis. The first aim should be to increase the detection rate of disease diagnostics and to decrease the number of amniocenteses. Currently, the most effective screening method is the combined test in the first trimester. The nationwide introduction of this method requires the improvement of personal and material environment of ultrasound diagnostics and the corresponding financial background.

Attitudes towards genetic diagnosis in Pakistan: a survey of medical and legal communities and parents of thalassemic children

OBJECTIVES

It was the aim of this study to assess the attitudes of doctors, medical students, lawyers, parliament members and parents of thalassemic children towards genetic diagnosis in Pakistan.

STUDY DESIGN

A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted among representative samples.

RESULTS

Five hundred and seventy doctors, 49 lawyers, 178 medical students, 89 parents of thalassemic children and 16 members of parliament (MPs) were included in the survey. The groups showed considerable difference in their attitudes towards different aspects of the issue. A large proportion (88.5%) agreed to the idea of genetic diagnostic screening, especially the parents of thalassemic patients. Premarital carrier screening was favored by 77% of the respondents. Prenatal screening was most favored by the parents of thalassemic children (94.4%). Likewise, a majority of parents of thalassemic children were in favor of abortion in case of an affected fetus. Genetic self-screening was also favored most by the parents of thalassemic patients (78.2%). Only 24% of the doctors favored making genetic screening mandatory, whereas 63% of the parents agreed to the idea.

CONCLUSION

Attitudes regarding genetic diagnosis are markedly different among various societal groups in Pakistan. The parents of the affected children strongly favor genetic screening as does the medical community, though not as strongly as the parents. The legislative groups, particularly the MPs, are reserved in their support. Genetic diagnosis can help decrease the disease burden in the future. However, it raises a number of ethical issues, which need to be addressed. It is important to educate the population about potential benefits as well as ethical dilemmas involved so that the general public is able to make the right decisions for themselves and their families.

Screening in women's health, with emphasis on fetal Down's syndrome, breast cancer and osteoporosis

Screening tests have become increasingly popular in women's health care over the last two decades. The initiative for screening is typically generated by either an agency or the health care professional being consulted for some reason. In many instances, however, the demand for screening tests is patient driven with the health care provider being poorly prepared to determine the usefulness of screening. This review illustrates the complexity of screening using three disorders where early detection and treatment have the potential to improve the quality and longevity of life. Prenatal diagnosis of Down's syndrome does not offer the parents the opportunity for cure but does offer the opportunity for education and rational choice as the impact of the diagnosis on the family is weighed. The evidence for breast cancer screening is more persuasive for older than younger women, but even in older women, there is a balance of risks and benefits. Treatment options for osteoporosis have improved in terms of reductions in fracture risk as well as beneficial effects on bone density, but evidence of the effectiveness of a screening programme for this condition in an unselected population is lacking. Ultimately, it is crucial that women be provided with clear and comprehensive information about the screening programme, in terms of possible gains but also costs of various kinds: physical, economic and psychological.