Combined first-trimester versus second-trimester serum screening for Down syndrome: a cost analysis

The purpose of this study was to compare the cost-effectiveness of combined first-trimester screening for fetal Down syndrome with second-trimester maternal serum triple screening.

A first-trimester screening approach that used nuchal translucency measurement and maternal serum screening was evaluated against second-trimester maternal serum triple screening in a hypothetic population. Screening sensitivities and screen-positive rates were 91% and 5% for the first-trimester approach and 70% and 7.5% for the second-trimester approach, respectively. The costs of fetal Down syndrome, live-born Down syndrome cost, and total costs (screening plus live-born costs) were calculated for each screening program.

First-trimester screening was associated with lower screening and live-born Down syndrome costs versus second-trimester serum screening. Total Down syndrome screening costs were 29.1% lower with first-trimester screening.

In this hypothetic model, combined first-trimester screening for fetal Down syndrome was more cost-effective than universal second-trimester triple serum screening.