ABSTRACT
The justification of prenatal screening for fetal abnormalities has traditionally turned on defining its aim in terms of enabling autonomous reproductive decision-making rather than prevention. However, new developments may lead to blurring this distinction. To the extent that future prenatal screening will more often lead to findings relevant for improving pregnancy outcomes, it will be more acceptable to regard the practice as primarily aimed at prevention. In the new ethical framework that this requires, reproductive autonomy will still be important, but limited by how the interests of the future child shape parental and professional responsibilities.
