Regarding the "new prenatal test" that analyzes the blood of pregnant women to check for abnormalities in the fetus's chromosomes, some medical institutions are conducting without sufficient counseling about the purpose and results of the test. It's a problem.
A committee of the Japanese Association of Medical Sciences has created a website that summarizes information on accredited medical institutions, etc., and wants them to refer to it when considering whether to undergo an examination.
"New prenatal testing" = "NIPT" has been a problem with clinics other than obstetrics and gynecology clinics entering one after another, and there are cases where sufficient counseling is not provided even if abnormalities are found in the test.
Regarding this test, the Japan Medical Association's "Prenatal Test Certification System Steering Committee" has set up a website this month that introduces certified medical institutions and consultation counters to pregnant women who are considering testing.
On the site, explanations about disabilities and illnesses that can be detected by examination, medical institutions where you can receive specialized counseling, and welfare support for children with disabilities and illnesses and their families are shown by age group.
In addition, the experiences of those who have undergone the test and those who have not are posted, and one of the people who created the site, Professor Emeritus Hiroshi Tamai of Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, said, ``Professional counseling before the test. It is important to think about what action to take when an abnormality is found in the examination, and I would like the site to be useful."
Click here for the website of the committee of the Japanese Association of Medical Sciences, which summarizes information on medical institutions, etc.
* Leaving the NHK site