Preferences for prenatal testing among pregnant women, partners and health professionals

Cell-free DNA testing (cfDNA testing) in maternal plasma has recently been implemented in Danish healthcare. Prior to that we wanted to evaluate the preferences among pregnant women, partners and health professionals regarding cfDNA testing compared with invasive prenatal diagnostics.

Responders were recruited at public hospitals in the Central and North Denmark Regions. Stated preferences for prenatal testing were obtained through an online questionnaire incorporating a discrete choice experiment. Test choices differed according to attributes such as risk of miscarriage (none or small) and genetic information provided by the test; simple (Down syndrome only) or comprehensive (chromosomal abnormalities beyond Down syndrome).

No risk of miscarriage was the key attribute affecting the preferences of women (n = 315) and partners (n = 102). However, women with experiences of invasive testing placed more emphasis on comprehensive genetic information and less on risk of miscarriage compared with other women. Likewise, foetal medicine experts, obstetricians and sonographers (n = 57) had a greater preference for comprehensive genetic information than midwives who were not directly involved in counselling for prenatal testing (n = 48).

As safety seems to affect the majority of pregnant couples' choice behaviour, thorough pre-test counselling by trained health professionals is of paramount importance.

Aarhus University and The Foundation of 17-12-1981.

This study was registered with the Danish Data Protection Agency (1-16-02-586-13/ 2007-58-0010).