Comments on: Early, Early Diagnosis and Prenatal Testing for Autism http://www.blisstree.com/articles/early-early-diagnosis-and-prenatal-testing-for-autism-363/ Family, Health, Home and Lifestyles Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:23:11 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: daedalus2u http://www.blisstree.com/articles/early-early-diagnosis-and-prenatal-testing-for-autism-363/comment-page-1/#comment-227354 daedalus2u Thu, 15 Nov 2007 22:24:23 +0000 http://www.fertilitynotes.com/2007/11/15/early-early-diagnosis-and-prenatal-testing-for-autism/#comment-227354 It is well known that identical twins can be discordant for autism. Any genetic test for autism is therefore likely to have a large false positive result. False positives for most genetic disorders are pretty low. I don't know how useful a test would be if it had a 75% false positive rate. Would someone abort 3 healthy pregnancies to avoid one autism birth? Some couples have multiple children with autism spectrum disorders. If there is even a modest false positive rate, they may find that every pregnancy they try to achieve ends up registering "positive". I think we are a very very long way from being able to diagnose autism in utero. My own opinion is that it is something that will never happen. It is simply too difficult. It is well known that identical twins can be discordant for autism. Any genetic test for autism is therefore likely to have a large false positive result.

False positives for most genetic disorders are pretty low. I don’t know how useful a test would be if it had a 75% false positive rate. Would someone abort 3 healthy pregnancies to avoid one autism birth?

Some couples have multiple children with autism spectrum disorders. If there is even a modest false positive rate, they may find that every pregnancy they try to achieve ends up registering “positive”.

I think we are a very very long way from being able to diagnose autism in utero. My own opinion is that it is something that will never happen. It is simply too difficult.

]]> By: Maddy http://www.blisstree.com/articles/early-early-diagnosis-and-prenatal-testing-for-autism-363/comment-page-1/#comment-227352 Maddy Thu, 15 Nov 2007 17:17:08 +0000 http://www.fertilitynotes.com/2007/11/15/early-early-diagnosis-and-prenatal-testing-for-autism/#comment-227352 And life would be all the poorer.[for everyone] Best wishes And life would be all the poorer.[for everyone]
Best wishes

]]> By: Autism Vox on Fertility Notes http://www.blisstree.com/articles/early-early-diagnosis-and-prenatal-testing-for-autism-363/comment-page-1/#comment-227351 Autism Vox on Fertility Notes Thu, 15 Nov 2007 14:43:00 +0000 http://www.fertilitynotes.com/2007/11/15/early-early-diagnosis-and-prenatal-testing-for-autism/#comment-227351 [...] guest posting today on Fertility Notes (which provides “all the news your womb can use). I posted about Early, Early Diagnosis and [...] [...] guest posting today on Fertility Notes (which provides “all the news your womb can use). I posted about Early, Early Diagnosis and [...]

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