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Number of trisomy tests in pregnant women increases rapidly to 50%!
The article highlights the increase in non-invasive trisomy tests in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and their importance for pregnant women.
Number of trisomy tests in pregnant women increases rapidly to 50%!
The importance of blood tests to determine the risk of trisomies in pregnant women is becoming increasingly popular in Germany. More and more expectant mothers are opting for these non-invasive prenatal tests (NIPT), which can be carried out as early as the tenth week of pregnancy. According to a current survey by the Barmer health insurance company, almost 50% of pregnant women in Germany took advantage of such a test last year; Despite the fact that it is still not one of the recommended preventive examinations, it is being used more and more frequently. The proportion of women who took the test in 2023 was still 30 to 33% Welt.de reports that ....
The distribution of tests shows interesting regional differences: In Bavaria, 52.1% of pregnant women had themselves tested, while in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania it was 49.3%. Brandenburg follows with 46% and Lower Saxony with 44.8%. This suggests that there is increasing interest in prenatal testing in many regions, particularly among older pregnant women. Because the statistics speak for themselves: 72.1% of expectant mothers aged 36 and over in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania use this test Welt.de reports that ....
Sense and nonsense of the test
The non-invasive method has several advantages, including the fact that it poses no risk of miscarriage, which can be the case with invasive tests. These tests, however, such as chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis, offer the highest reliability in the diagnosis of chromosomal disorders and hereditary diseases, but carry a certain risk: in up to 1% of cases, a miscarriage can result. While these invasive procedures are only recommended if there is a significantly increased risk, NIPT is more accessible to all pregnant women Gesundheitsinformation.de recommends that....
During the NIPT examination, small pieces of the unborn child's DNA that are present in the mother's blood are analyzed. This can reveal common chromosomal disorders such as trisomy 21, trisomy 18 and trisomy 13, with trisomy 21 being the most common form, also known as Down syndrome. Parents who are confronted with a positive test result are often faced with difficult decisions BAG reports that....
Young families in a dilemma
The latest figures show that the generation of future parents is increasingly torn between the desire for certainty and the fear of the challenges that life with a child with special needs can bring. For every 10,000 pregnant women aged 30 to 34, 17 are expecting a child with trisomy 21. The probability increases with age, highlighting the need for comprehensive advice from specialists. Reliable information about the test and possible consequences is essential, because the decision to carry out such a test should be made in close consultation with a doctor BAG recommends that ....
Health insurance companies have been covering the costs of NIPT since July 2022 in order to reduce invasive procedures. But the question remains whether less invasive tests are actually being carried out. To date, there is no evidence that use of NIPT has led to a decrease in these riskier examinations. Rather, the increasing numbers indicate great uncertainty and a desire for more information. Let's hope that expectant parents receive the support they need to make informed decisions.