Experts condemn expanded prenatal tests as “absurd” and unethical

Swedish public health experts and regional authorities have criticised private companies offering extended prenatal blood tests that screen for over 100 chromosomal abnormalities, warning they create unnecessary anxiety and increase the risk of miscarriage, SVT Nyheter reports.

The tests, known as non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), analyse fetal DNA through a maternal blood sample. While public healthcare in Sweden typically screens for three conditions—trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), trisomy 13, and trisomy 18—private providers now offer expanded panels covering far more abnormalities, sometimes exceeding 100. These tests, marketed as reliable, can cost up to 9,000 SEK (approximately 800 EUR).

High risk of false positives
Genetic counsellor Charlotta Ingvoldstad Malmgren of Karolinska University Hospital called the practice “not ethically justifiable,” accusing companies of exploiting pregnant women’s fears. “They prey on the anxiety and desire for a ‘healthy’ child,” she said.

Bo Jacobsson, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, emphasised the tests’ poor accuracy for rare conditions. “The risk that the result is false is greater than the risk it’s true,” he said. Ylva Carlsson, a senior physician at the same hospital, confirmed she had never seen a positive result from these expanded tests prove correct. “They cause unnecessary distress, lead to invasive procedures that risk the pregnancy, and burden public healthcare with costly follow-ups,” she added.

Regions report rising demand
Fourteen of Sweden’s 21 regions told SVT they had observed increased use of these tests, with more pregnant women seeking public healthcare for further investigation—often through invasive procedures like amniocentesis, which carry a small miscarriage risk. Some patients later expressed regret over taking the test.

Göteborgskliniken, one of the providers offering the most comprehensive tests, defended its practices in a statement to SVT. The clinic acknowledged that “reliability may vary for extended analyses” but claimed it “places special emphasis on informing patients about uncertainties, both in writing and verbally.”