Yamanouchi Yasuko    Department   Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare  ,    Position   Professor
Article types	原著
Language	English
Peer review	Peer reviewed
Title	Nationwide survey for current clinical status of amniocentesis and maternal serum marker test in Japan
Journal	Formal name：Jornal of Human Genetics Abbreviation：J. Hum.Jenet. ISSN code：14345161
Publisher	Springer
Volume, Issue, Page	61(10),pp.879-884
Author and coauthor	Miyake H, Yamada S, Fujii Y, Sawai H, Arimori N, Yamanouchi Y, Ozasa Y, Kanai M, Sago H, Sekizawa A, Takada F, Masuzaki H, Matsubara Y, Hirahara F, Kugu K
Publication date	2016/10
Summary	Prenatal testing has been provided in Japan over the past several decades. However, it is difficult to assess the clinical status of amniocentesis (AC) and maternal serum markers (MSM) because obstetricians can perform these tests without registration. This study aims to investigate the current clinical status of AC and MSM in Japan. We conducted a questionnaire study that was intended for a total of 5622 Japanese obstetrics/gynecology facilities during October 2013 to January 2014. The response rate was 40.8% (2295/5622). Of the 2295 facilities, 864 performed MSM (37.7%), 619 performed AC (27.0%) and 412 performed both (18.0%). The average number of MSM tests was 2.0 per month (range 0-52), and the average number of AC tests was 2.4 per month (range 0-30). Involvement of genetic professionals, such as clinical geneticists (CGs) and certified genetic counselors (CGCs), contribute to a content-rich explanation and management of difficult issues and lengthened the explanation time. Nevertheless, relatively few facilities employed these specialists (MSM: 96/864 and AC: 128/619). This is the first study to highlight the current clinical status of AC and MSM tests in Japan. Active involvement of CGs and CGCs can provide more appropriate genetic counseling for prenatal tests.
DOI	10.1038/jhg.2016.67
PMID	27357425