§ Mr. Denzil Daviesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether women are being informed of the risks to their health and of the risks to future pregnancies of amniocentesis and abortion as well as the risk of handicapping the unborn child by amniocentesis.
§ Dr. VaughanAll women who have grounds for, and seek, abortion should be given all the relevant information they may need to reach a decision, including the risks of amniocentesis. In 1979 the Department issued to health authorities the report of the expert working group on screening for neural tube defects, which recognised these risks and recommended that patients should be given a full explanation of the amniocentesis test and ample opportunity for discussion with professional staff.