I would like to inform the House that I have accepted the UK National Screening Committee’s recommendation to add the quadruple screening test to the foetal anomaly screening programme pathway for Edwards’ syndrome.
Edwards’ syndrome, also called trisomy 18, is caused by an additional—third—copy of chromosome 18 in some or all cells and affects one in 1,500 pregnancies. This is a genetic life-limiting condition and results in physical and severe learning disabilities. Sadly, most babies with this condition will die during their first year of life; only 13% survive past their first birthday.
Under the current screening pathway, eligible women are offered a screening test called the combined test, which combines the results of a blood test and ultrasound scan taken in the first trimester, plus maternal age, to determine the chance of a baby having Down’s syndrome, Edwards’ syndrome or Patau’s syndrome. Sometimes it is not possible to complete the combined test—for example, if a woman is more than 14 weeks’ pregnant, or the baby is lying in an awkward position during the ultrasound.
The quadruple test, which is a maternal blood test offered in the second trimester, already provides pregnant women an additional point in the pathway to screen for Down’s syndrome. Accepting the UK National Screening Committee’s recommendation means that pregnant women who have not completed the first trimester combined test can be offered the quadruple test to screen for Edwards’ syndrome.
Where an increased chance for Edwards’ syndrome is identified, pregnant women are offered a referral pathway, information and options, therefore supporting informed choice.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the UK National Screening Committee for continuing to provide invaluable expert advice on screening programmes, and pay tribute to all those who work to deliver high-quality screening across the country.
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