§ Ms. LynneTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies her Department has conducted into the use of, and efficacy of the Bart's test for pregnant women for Down's syndrome.
§ Mr. Sackville[holding answer 5 February 1993]: Recently published articles and published studies on maternal serum screening, including the Bart's triple test, are listed as follows. Copies are available in the Library. These were funded from various sources.
The implications of these new tests are complex and are being addressed at the moment by two separate working parties set up by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and regional directors of public health.
Maternal serum screening for Down's Syndrome in early pregnancy—Wald N. J, Cuckle H. S, Dansem J. W. et al, British Medical Journal 1988, pp 883–7.Antenatal maternal serum screening for Down's Syndrome: results of a demonstration project—Wald, Kennard, Densem et al, British Medical Journal 224/92, pp 391–4.Prenatal screening for Down's Syndrome with use of maternal serum makers—Haddow J. E, Palomaki G. E, Knight G. J, et al, New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 327, No. 9, pp 588–93.Maternal serum screening for fetal Down Syndrome in Women less than 35 years of age using alpha-fetaprotein, hCG, and unconjugated estriol: a prospective 2 year study—Phillips et al, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vol. 80, No. 3, Part 1, pp 353–8.Prospective intervention trial of a screening protocol to identify fetal trisonomy 18 using maternal serum alphafetoprotein, unconjugated oestriol, and human chorinonic gonadotropin—Palomaki GE, Knight GJ et al, Prenatal diagnosis, Vol. 12, pp 925–30.