[Bioethical dilemmas in prenatal diagnosis: non-invasive prenatal test and new technologies]

Juan Pelegrín Sánchez Marín1, Elisa García González2

  • 1Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet. Sección Genética Prenatal y Citogenética del Servicio de Bioquímica Clínica. C/ Padre Arrupe, S/N 50009 Zaragoza. juanpelegrin.sanchez@gmail.com.

Every pregnant woman in the Spanish national health system is offered the option of controlling her pregnancy by means of prenatal screening. For women in a high-risk situation, non-invasive techniques for the detection of chromosomal aneuploidies are now available, which have the advantage of not endangering the life of the fetus, facilitating subsequent prenatal genetic diagnosis. However, despite the potential medical benefits for both pregnant women and fetuses, the widespread implementation of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) raises a number of ethical issues. The objective of this work is to explore the ethical aspects derived from the implementation of the NIPT from the perspective of the main philosophical currents in bioethics and their implications for the health professional. In particular, it focus on the ethical aspects raised by the NIPT according to the major bioethical currents, the possible ethical dilemmas that the clinical advisor faces based on these currents and the requirements that genetic counseling for an ethical implementation of NIPT in clinical practice taking advantage of its advantages without violate human dignity.

Related Concept Videos

CRISPR01:59

CRISPR

Genome editing technologies allow scientists to modify an organism’s DNA via the addition, removal, or rearrangement of genetic material at specific genomic locations. These types of techniques could potentially be used to cure genetic disorders such as hemophilia and sickle cell anemia. One popular and widely used DNA-editing research tool that could lead to safe and effective cures for genetic disorders is the CRISPR-Cas9 system. CRISPR-Cas9 stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced...
52.1K
What is Genetic Engineering?00:49

What is Genetic Engineering?

Overview
74.3K
Ethical Dilemmas I01:17

Ethical Dilemmas I

Ethical dilemmas in nursing are of utmost importance, as they often arise from the tension between adhering to core ethical principles and the practical realities of healthcare delivery. These dilemmas require nurses to navigate complex situations where competing ethical considerations pull them in different directions.
Let us explore some examples to understand the potentially complex moral decisions nurses face.
Take the case of caring for minors, particularly in areas related to reproductive...
935
Animal Mitochondrial Genetics02:59

Animal Mitochondrial Genetics

Among all the organelles in an animal cell, only mitochondria have their own independent genomes. Animal mitochondrial DNA is a double-stranded, closed-circular molecule with around 20,000 base pairs. Mitochondrial DNA is unique in that one of its two strands, the heavy, or H, -strand is guanine rich, whereas the complementary strand is cytosine rich and called the light, or L, -strand. Compared to nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA has a very low percentage of non-coding regions and is marked by...
7.6K
Teratogenicity01:07

Teratogenicity

The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...
2.5K
Ethical Issues01:27

Ethical Issues

Nurses are essential in patient care, upholding the ethical principles of their profession and effectively navigating ethical dilemmas. Neglecting ethical issues can lead to inadequate patient care, compromised therapeutic relationships, and moral distress among healthcare workers.
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
997