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Strengthen the Evidence for Maternal and Child Health Programs

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Items in this list may be obtained from the sources cited. Contact information reflects the most current data about the source that has been provided to the MCH Digital Library.

Displaying records 1 through 3 (3 total).

Fajnzylber E, Hotz VJ, Sanders SG. 2010. An economic model of amniocentesis choice. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research, 41 pp. (NBER working paper series no. 16306)

Annotation: This paper examines the logic behind the typical recommendation by medical practitioners that only pregnant women over the age of 35 be tested for Down syndrome and other genetic disorders using amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS) since these tests can cause miscarriage. The authors argue that such logic is incomplete, since the cost of such testing rises with age, just as the benefit does: While undergoing an amniocentesis always entails the risk of miscarriage of a healthy fetus, these costs are lower at early ages, because there is a higher probability of being able to replace a miscarried fetus with a healthy birth at a later age. In this paper, the authors present an economic model of amniocentesis choice to explore this tradeoff.

Keywords: Amniocentesis, Chorionic villi sampling, Cost effectiveness, Economic factors, Genetic disorders, Genetic screening, Guidelines, Maternal age, Prenatal screening

Huether C. 1987. Epidemiological Aspects of Down Syndrome [Final report]. Cincinnati, OH: University of Cincinnati,

Annotation: This study focused on epidemiological questions regarding Down syndrome (DS) births in Ohio, but included data for the United States as well. A 16 year (1970-1985) Ohio data set was analyzed. The study found that demographic changes alone can continue to account for the temporal changes in DS births and incidences. The project also found the Ohio data showed no support for a positive paternal age effect on DS births. The researchers stated that if the projected increase in DS births is to be averted, utilization of prenatal diagnosis by women aged 30 and older must increase substantially. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

Keywords: Amniocentesis, Down syndrome, Infants, Mothers

O'Brien D. 1970. Rare inborn errors of metabolism in children with mental retardation. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Maternal and Child Health Service, 125 pp.

Annotation: This publication is intended to offer to pediatricians and allied professions interested in mental retardation clinical information and diagnostic guidelines on a group of individually rare syndromes on which little information is available. The descriptions in this booklet are mostly confined to states with ill defined physical signs in which the diagnosis depends on laboratory confirmation. In each case, the clinical and laboratory findings are briefly stated, together with a summary of current thought on the underlying biochemical disorder, the genetics, and the treatment. The diagnostic and screening tests are outlined with the individual syndromes and are also set out in greater detail in a special section. A brief summary of the use of amniocentesis and tissue culture techniques to detect cytogenetic and biochemical aberrations is also included.

Keywords: Allied health personnel, Amniocentesis, Biochemical genetics, Diagnostic tests, Mental retardation, Metabolic diseases, Pediatricians, Tests
   

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