In Reply.—The statement of the NIH Consensus
Development Conference on CF screening1
indicated that CF carrier testing should be offered to individuals planning
pregnancy or seeking prenatal testing, as well as to individuals whose relatives
have CF. However, the document recognized that unintended coercion might occur
if such testing were offered as part of routine prenatal care. To avoid this
outcome, the panel recommended that programs providing CF carrier testing
should be carefully phased in, with measures to ensure the delivery of counseling
to those considering testing. The purpose of counseling would be to ensure
prospective test recipients' understanding that CF carrier testing is an optional
test, for use in reproductive decision making. When testing indicates that
both prospective parents are CF carriers, their reproductive choices might
include the decision not to have children or to terminate a pregnancy if prenatal
testing indicated CF. Couples not interested in these options might choose
against testing.