This book aims to expand the awareness and understanding of the emotional sequelae of prenatal/preimplantation diagnosis, prenatal decision-making, pregnancy interruption for fetal anomaly, multifetal reduction for high-order multifetal pregnancies and preimplantation choices involving the selection of embryos. Featuring a multi-disciplinary approach, it examines prenatal and preimplantation diagnosis from medical, legal, ethical and psychosocial perspectives. Prenatal and Preimplantation Diagnosis is an excellent resource for obstetricians, reproductive endocrinologists, clinical geneticists, genetic counselors and mental health professionals seeking to better support patients faced with difficult choices.

This second edition volume expands on the first edition with more detailed methodologies on prenatal testing and diagnosis, and also covers next-generation sequencing techniques. The chapters in this book are divided into three sections: preimplantation genetic testing, traditional prenatal testing, and non-invasive prenatal testing. This book covers topics such as molecular testing for preimplantation genetic diagnosis of single gene disorders; DNA extraction from various types of prenatal specimens; prenatal diagnosis of cystic fibrosis and Tay-Sachs disease; chromosomal SNP microarrays; and isolation of cell-free DNA from maternal plasma. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Practical and thorough, Prenatal Diagnosis, Second Edition is a valuable resource for any researcher interested in reproducing these techniques in their clinical laboratories.

Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is the detection and screening of genetic abnormality in gametes prior to fertilisation and embryos fertilised in vitro prior to implantation. This exciting new text provides an introduction and overview of the principles of PGD. An exciting fusion of prenatal diagnosis (PD) with in vitro fertilisation (IVF), this book is will appeal to both the prenatal diagnosis community, of clinical geneticists and foetal medicine specialists within obstetrics and gynaecology, and the IVF community within reproductive medicine. It is also an essential introduction to PD, clinical genetics and IVF for non-specialists. A concise introduction to the field of PGD Detailed explanations of the techniques and procedures used The law and ethical implications of PGD Future uses of PGD

This report gives a simplified description of the scientific fundamentals of genetic testing and describes its present applications; establishes broad privacy principles to guide both the public and private sectors on testing matters; examines specifically how the Privacy Act regulates genetic testing by government institutions; and addresses the growing need to consider regulating private sector genetic testing. A summary of positions taken by other countries and international organizations on privacy and genetic testing is also included.

This book addresses the biological, moral and legal issues which arising prenatal testing of late onset neurogenetic disease. The contributors focus specifically on Huntington's Disease, which is used as a model for other late onset neurogenetic diseases. The ethical and legal aspects of prenatal testing and preimplantation genetic diagnosis are discussed with reference to case histories. This volume will provide valuable insights for all those involved in dealing with these challenging issues.

Technological advances continue to expand the number of genetic disorders that can be diagnosed in utero. Utilization of this new technology has de manded special expertise available in relatively few academic centers. As these new applications have become more widespread so have the realities of the medicolegal implications. Notwithstanding the laboratory challenges, most legal action, at least in the United States, has arisen from the physician's failure to inform a patient about the risks of a genetic disorder or the oppor tunities presented by prenatal diagnosis. Hence an extensive thorough reex amination of the subject seems appropriate and timely. The steady escalation in the number of prenatal genetic studies now being done in the western world makes it imperative for the physician to have a thorough comprehension of the subject in its entirety. I am, therefore, fortu nate in having colleagues who as acknowledged experts have shared their knowledge and experience in order to make this volume a major critical repository of facts and guidance about prenatal genetic diagnosis. The subject matter ranges from a consideration of required genetic counseling through the intricacies of establishing prenatal diagnoses. Special attention is focused on new advances using ultrasound, a-fetoprotein, fetoscopy, and first trimester diagnosis. Both ethical and legal implications are discussed in detail, as is the development of public policy.

To what extent should parents be able to choose the kind of child they have? The unfortunate phrase 'designer baby' has become familiar in debates surrounding reproduction. As a reference to current possibilities the term is misleading, but the phrase may indicate a societal concern of some kind about control and choice in the course of reproduction. Typically, people can choose whether to have a child. They may also have an interest in choosing, to some extent, the conditions under which they do so, such as whether they have a child with a serious disability or disease. The purpose of this book is to explore the difficult and controversial question of the appropriate ethical and legal extent of reproductive autonomy in this context. The book examines ethical, legal and public policy issues in prenatal screening, prenatal diagnosis (PND), selective abortion and preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). It explores the ethics of these selection practices and the ability of current ethical guidelines and legal mechanisms, including the law on selective abortion and wrongful birth, to deal with advances in genetic and other knowledge in these areas. Unlike in the United States, in England the relevant law is not inherently rights-based, but the impact of the Human Rights Act 1998 inevitably raises questions about the proper scope of reproductive autonomy in this context. The implications of the analysis are considered for the development of relevant law, public policy and ethical guidelines and will be of interest to academics in medical law and ethics, health professionals, lawyers, those working on public policy and students with an interest in these issues.