Non-invasive Prenatal Testing: The Problem with “Fast Cars”.

Prenatal screening and its technological counterpart, prenatal diagnosis (PND), have been the subject of extensive debate since their inception, particularly given PND’s inextricable links with abortion. Despite this, prenatal screening policy and practice has evolved over the last few decades and is now well established. However, a new permutation of prenatal testing, first performed in 2011 and subject to rapid commercialisation, potentially heralds a new era. This article provides an introduction to non-invasive prenatal testing and outlines some of the ethical and legal issues associated with the early clinical integration of this rapidly evolving technology.