Prenatal chromosomal diagnosis. Racial and geographic variation for older women in Georgia.

In a study of Georgia women aged 40 years and older, 15% made use of prenatal chromosomal diagnosis. There was, however, substantial racial and geographic variation, ranging from a use ratio of 60% among whites in two large urban counties to 0.5% among blacks outside Augusta and Atlanta health districts. This simple population-based epidemiologic analysis suggests that future program planning for genetic services in Georgia should address ways to increase access by rural women, especially blacks. Similar analyses in other states could be used for planning genetic services.

[1]  L. Edmonds,et al.  Reducing birth defect risk in advanced maternal age. , 1979, JAMA.

[2]  J. Pearson The management of high-risk pregnancy. , 1974, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

[3]  E. Alberman Main causes of major mental handicap: prevalence and epidemiology. , 1978, Ciba Foundation symposium.