OBJECTIVE To evaluate the performance of the locally developed universal Down syndrome screening programme. DESIGN Population-based cohort study in the period July 2010 to June 2011 inclusive. SETTING Four Hong Kong Hospital Authority Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and a central university-based laboratory for maternal serum processing and risk determination. PARTICIPANTS Women...

In the last 20 years, the role of first-trimester ultrasound screening has expanded from individual calculation of the risk of aneuploidy through measurement of the nuchal translucency to a powerful technique to evaluate important aspects of the fetal anatomy. Traditionally, the full anatomy scan for detection of structural anomalies has been performed in the second trimester of pregnancy. Howe...

BACKGROUND Concerns have been raised about the injudicious use of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) using cell-free DNA (cfDNA), which often leads to inaccuracies in interpretation of the role and value of cfDNA in prenatal screening. OBJECTIVES  To determine the value and role of NIPT in a select South African (SA) population. METHODS  A retrospective review of patients who elected to h...

Objective: The purpose of this study is to show distribution of risk in pregnancies which underwent first trimester combined tests, and investigate general demographic and clinical characteristics of patients, underwent invasive diagnostic tests after screening tests. Methods: Combined test data of first trimester screening in 20082011 were evaluated retrospectively and cross-sectional. After t...