Interest in newborn genetic testing: a survey of prospective parents and the general public

Newborn screening (NBS) panels continue to expand, yet there are too few data on public attitudes toward testing in the newborn period to indicate whether there is support for such testing. We measured interest in newborn testing for several autosomal recessive disorders and reasons for interest.

A cross-sectional, pen and paper survey was administered to the general public and prospective parents attending prenatal classes in Eastern Canada between April and December, 2010.

A total of 648 individuals completed surveys. Interest in newborn testing for inherited hearing loss, vision loss, and neurological disorders was high (over 80% would have their newborn tested). The attitudes of prospective parents and students were positive, but somewhat less so than members of the general public. Across all disorders, interest in testing was driven by the desire to be prepared for the birth of a child with a genetic disorder. Significantly more people would use the information from testing for fatal neurological disorders in future reproductive decisions than the information generated by newborn testing for inherited hearing or vision loss.

Interest is high in newborn testing for a variety of conditions, including those for which no effective treatment exists. Findings lend support to the expansion of NBS panels to include those disorders currently lacking treatment and highlight the value of including the views of diverse stakeholders, including prospective parents, in screening policies.