Ethical concerns on prenatal testing

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Running head: Ethical Concerns in Prenatal testing

Ethical concerns in prenatal testing

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Ethical Concerns in Prenatal Testing

Prenatal testing focuses on detecting potential abnormalities within the fetus through

prenatal screening and testing of the pregnancy while in its early stages. The laboratory practice

of prenatal testing has been faced with various ethical concerns regarding the use of information

in non-clinical contexts. Technology in prenatal testing has moved a step to involve non-

inversion prenatal testing that promises little harm to pregnant women. Major ethical emphasis

has been raised over the social attitude towards the high-risk fetus, non-clinical uses of genetic

information, and the harm associated with prenatal testing.

Non-inversion prenatal testing emerges as a new technology for testing of a single gene

disorder. Ethical concerns have based their great consideration on autonomy, privacy, and

fairness of NIPT (Lewis et al 2013). Various factors such as, social attitude, simplicity, and

safety of non-inversion prenatal testing and social intervention in funding the tests have placed

much pressure on women to take involuntary tastings which are morally wrong. For instance, a

large number of women are seeking help from the NIP test and feel that they may get helped

immediately they get tested. Rather NIP only provides information about the fetus's genetic

status.

NIP does not provide meaningful options to the parent rather than two options of either

continuing with the pregnancy or terminating it. (De Jong, & Wart). therefore they should

consider not making NIP more attractive to women leading to their increased involuntary testing

hence it does not have any immediate help to them. Leaving pregnant mothers with only two

options of which none is beneficial to them is making their situations even worse than before.

NIPT therefore should consider providing helpful options that prove greater social benefits for

pregnant mothers. Giving them only two options risks the life of the innocent fetus and that of

the mother too.

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1 Running head: Ethical Concerns in Prenatal testing Ethical concerns in prenatal testing Name of student Name of institution 2 Ethical Concerns in Prenatal Testing Prenatal testing focuses on detecting potential abnormalities within the fetus through prenatal screening and testing of the pregnancy while in its early stages. The laboratory practice of prenatal testing has been faced with various ethical concerns regarding the use of information in non-clinical contexts. Technology in prenatal testing has moved a step to involve noninversion prenatal testing that promises little harm to pregnant women. Major ethical emphasis has been raised over the social attitude towards the high-risk fetus, non-clinical uses of genetic information, and the harm associated with prenatal testing. Non-inversion prenatal testing emerges as a new technology for testing of a single gene disorder. Ethical concerns have based their great consideration on autonomy, privacy, and fairness of NIPT (Lewis et al 2013). Various factors such as, social attitude, simplicity, and safety of non-inversion prenatal testing and social intervention in funding the tests have placed much pressure on women to take in ...
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