Japan to offer new prenatal tests as medical services

February 5, 2018

Tokyo- Japan will provide new blood-based prenatal testing to diagnose diseases in unborn babies as regular medical services, informed sources have said.

In the country, noninvasive prenatal genetic tests, which check samples of blood from pregnant mothers instead of amnion fluid, have been provided as part of clinical research at designated institutions.

According to the sources, the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology has decided to change its guidelines so that the tests can be provided as regular medical services. The new tests will be available at a larger number of institutions.

The society will also consider lowering the minimum age to take the noninvasive tests from the current 35 years old and broadening the types of diseases covered by the testing. At present, the new method covers three variations of chromosomal abnormalities, including Down syndrome.

The rule change is aimed at addressing an increase in institutions that provide new prenatal testing without obtaining required approval.

Such institutions may lack counseling services required under the guidelines while attracting many users by offering new tests to younger women and covering a wider range of diseases.

The society is expected to finalize the revision to the guidelines at a board meeting in March.

The use of the new testing has been limited to clinical research so far, as critics say widespread prenatal screenings may lead to an increase in abortions.

The society has run a system under which the Japanese Association of Medical Sciences grants approval to institutions that meet requirements, including employment of full-time clinical genetic specialists.

While relaxing the requirements, the society will take new measures, such as requests for doctors to participate in training programs.

The new testing, which began in Japan in 2013, is performed at 89 designated medical institutions.

A joint research group including the National Center for Child Health and Development carried out some 50,000 such tests over four and a half years from 2013. More than 90 percent of the mothers diagnosed as having babies with chromosomal abnormalities chose to have abortions. Jiji Press