Increasing rates of prenatal testing among Jewish and Arab women in Israel over one decade.

UNLABELLED

BACKGROUND/AIMS/OBJECTIVE: This study compared data on the use of prenatal tests offered to pregnant women in Israel as reported in a national survey conducted by the Israel Center for Disease Control in 2001 to data from 2010.

METHODS

Mothers of newborns were interviewed 8-72 h after delivery in 29 maternity wards in Israel on May 31, 2010.

RESULTS

A total of 768 women were interviewed, 569 (72.3%) were Jewish and 197 (25.7%) were Arabs. Nuchal translucency screening and early ultrasound level 2 were significantly more frequently done in both Jewish and Arab women in 2010 than in 2001. The use of the biochemical triple marker test and amniocentesis did not change. The increased rate of nuchal translucency screening and early ultrasound level 2 was significantly higher among the Jewish women compared to the Arabs (21.5 and 28.0% vs. 2.9 and 13.7% in 2001; 62.0 and 65.6% vs. 30.1 and 30.9% in 2010, respectively). The rates of amniocentesis in the Jewish women aged ≥35 years were 47.6 and 47.5% in 2001 and 2010, respectively; they are significantly higher than among the Arabs (18.5 and 28.5%, respectively). The factors associated with making more use of different prenatal tests were: secularity, a higher income, and supplementary medical insurance for the Jewish women, and supplementary medical insurance and printed information on prenatal testing for the Arabs.

CONCLUSIONS

The prenatal testing rates have risen over the last decade in both population groups, but there are still significant gaps. We suggest that public funding of additional prenatal tests may increase their use in both population groups.