Prenatal diagnosis in Norway.

Prenatal diagnosis (PND) of genetic disorders is provided without costs to the woman or family, in Norway. However, the volume of examinations is significantly smaller than in most other Western European countries. Prenatal diagnosis because of relatively high maternal age is accepted only if the woman will be 38 years or older at the time of delivery. Adequate technologies and know-how are available. The limitations on the amount of work done in this field are a result of political decisions which may have been strongly influenced by fundamentalist groups. PND in Norway has reduced the number of infants born with anomalies of the autosomal chromosomes. The impact on births of infants with other disorders is very small.