Prenatal Diagnosis of Down's Syndrome

There are now sufficient data on the safety and accuracy of prenatal diagnosis of Down's syndrome to state that the procedure is no longer experimental and can be considered standard care for women in specified risk groups.¹ A court in New York state recently concluded that a physician may be considered negligent for not advising a 37-year-old pregnant woman of these facts.² These realities will undoubtedly stimulate a rapid increase in demand for the procedure, especially since use of such services is now less than 5% among women who are at clearly increased risk.¹

There will continue to be disagreement about some of the ethical issues at stake, particularly regarding abortion and the eugenic implications of labeling a genetically distinct group of persons as inferior. While consensus on these matters cannot be expected in the foreseeable future, there are other ethical and social issues about which most