Table 1
Research ethics committee members were asked to indicate their opinion of each scenario on a scale of 1 (totally ethical) to 5 (totally unethical)
| Ethical? | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Block | Q | Scenario description | Yes | ?? | No |
| Full questions are available on JCP website (http://jcp.bmjjournals.com/supplemental/). | |||||
| A | 1 | Screen for a serious condition (Down’s syndrome). No risk to unaffected fetus | 43 | 11 | 21 |
| 2 | Screen for a serious condition: 1 unaffected fetus spontaneously aborted for every 2 affected fetuses diagnosed | 6 | 10 | 60 | |
| 3 | Screen for a serious condition: 2 unaffected fetuses spontaneously aborted for every 1 affected fetus diagnosed | 5 | 2 | 69 | |
| B | 4 | Screen for red hair and freckles | 5 | 3 | 68 |
| 5 | Screen for a life threatening condition to allow surgery/neonatal intensive care when the baby is born | 73 | 2 | 2 | |
| C | 6 | Screen for reduction in life expectancy by 10 years | 4 | 7 | 66 |
| 7 | Screen for reduction in life expectancy by 10 years—will need drug treatment | 9 | 7 | 61 | |
| D | 8 | Screen for reduction in life expectancy by 50 years | 20 | 18 | 39 |
| 9 | Screen for reduction in life expectancy by 50 years: a cure is likely in the next 15 years | 16 | 18 | 43 | |
| E | 10 | Screen for slight lowering of education potential | 2 | 3 | 72 |
| 11 | Screen for moderate lowering of education potential | 1 | 6 | 70 | |
| 12 | Screen for severe lowering of education potential | 5 | 11 | 61 | |
| F | 13 | Screen for severe lowering of education potential; 10% may have severe heart defect; others have life expectancy reduced by 10 years (Down’s clinical description). Only affected identified | 7 | 27 | 43 |
| 14 | As 13 above but the screening test identifies 60% of affected and 5% of unaffected pregnancies: no risk to unaffected | 14 | 19 | 43 | |
| 15 | Screen for Down’s clinical description: 1 unaffected fetus spontaneously aborted for every 2 affected fetuses diagnosed | 4 | 7 | 66 | |
| 16 | Screen for a Down’s clinical description: 2 unaffected fetuses spontaneously aborted for every 1 affected fetus diagnosed | 3 | 1 | 73 | |
| G | 17 | A screening test similar to 15 above is in existence. Do extra lab test. Each extra case detected costs £5000 | 10 | 11 | 54 |
| 18 | As 17 above but the cost/extra case detected is £100 000 | 6 | 10 | 58 | |
| 19 | Add directive counselling to screening programme | 11 | 11 | 54 | |
