Stephen T. Chasen, MD, describes the issue of when to perform an amnio vs. the triple test as one charged with emotion, with fearful parents on the one side and a cost-conscious health care system on the other. Chasen agrees with Haddow that the study does a good job of rehashing this debate, but he says it won't end here. He was not involved in this study. Sure, more Down's babies would be identified using the triple test and age as a guide. However, many more candidates for amnios would be found as well.
More amnios mean more chances of fetal loss.
Chasen says that up to one-fourth of the amnios he performs are on women younger than 35. At Cornell, all pregnant women, regardless of their age, are offered the triple test and amnios. Having a child with Down's syndrome is a devastating, permanently life-altering event. Many women can accept a small individual risk of miscarriage to know that this won't happen to them. All rights reserved.