ABSTRACT
Over recent years, an ever increasing number of pregnant women have undergone Down syndrome screening based either on maternal serum markers (MSM) or on ultrasound, and a considerable amount of scientific literature has been published on the subject. However, one should bear in mind that screening for Down syndrome is by no means mandatory. Many women do not wish to undergo prenatal screening for trisomy 21, and would not consider terminating the pregnancy of an affected baby. Although it is accepted that women should be made aware of the existence of screening, their ethical positions should be respected while offering MSM screening. Besides, it would be unfair to implement large-scale prenatal screening policies without also implementing voluntary policies facilitating the integration of trisomy 21-affected persons into society.
