Prenatal diagnosis services in Greece.

The report presents the available prenatal diagnosis (PND) services in Greece. PND for chromosomal anomalies after amniocentesis was initiated in 1976 and became gradually widely accepted. Chorionic villus sampling was introduced in 1983. Approximately 6,500 women undergo PND for chromosomal anomalies annually, most of them for advanced maternal age. 700 cases are also tested prenatally each year for haemoglobinopathies. The study describes the PND services available in the country, the procedures currently used, the impact of prenatal testing on the prevention of genetic diseases and the legal issues concerning PND in Greece.