Attitudes of Filipino parents of children with Down syndrome on noninvasive prenatal testing

Abstract

Globally, there has been an increasing uptake of noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT). In the Philippines, the test is currently available through private laboratories and can be availed by families who can afford the out-of-pocket cost. In a country where elective termination of pregnancy is not an option, the question arises as to the relevance of this testing, even among health professionals. This is an exploratory qualitative study that explored the attitudes of Filipino parents of children with Down syndrome (DS) toward NIPT using thematic analysis of in-depth interviews. Study participants acknowledged the value of NIPT in providing early diagnosis and, subsequently, emotional, mental, spiritual, and financial preparation. This said, they also emphasized that such early detection may cause anxiety and even thoughts of termination for some, despite abortion being against the law and predominant religious beliefs. For those undergoing NIPT and receiving positive results, study participants highlighted the need to receive proper and nonbiased counseling from both health professionals and parents who have children with DS. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12687-022-00597-w.

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“…In fact, there are at least three laboratories that offer NIPT, with prices ranging from PHP 24,500 to 55,000, or USD 491 to 1103. This can lead to challenges for geneticists/genetic counselors to provide effective, insightful, and helpful counseling [ 38 ]. Prenatal diagnosis is therefore the aim so that anticipatory guidance can be provided and parents can prepare for the birth of a child with birth defects [ 39 ].…”