Table 3.

National policies or recommendations for prenatal screening for Down's syndrome in place in 2004 in 18 European countries

		First-trimester screening actually offered
Countries	National screening policies or recommendations for Down's syndrome screening test to be offered to all women	Nuchal scan	Nuchal + biochemistry	Second-trimester biochemical screening offered	Maternal age at which CVS/amniocentesis are offered
Austria	No	+	+	−	≥35
Belgium	Yes	+		+	≥36 (charged if <36)
Croatia	No	±	±	±	≥35
Denmark	Yes	−	+	−	CVS/amniocentesis not offered primarily on basis of maternal age
England and Wales	Yes*	±	±	±	CVS/amniocentesis not offered primarily on basis of maternal age
Finland	Yes	±	±	±	≥39
France	Yes	+	±	+	≥38
Germany	Yes	+**	+**	+**	≥35
Ireland	No	−	−	−	—
Italy	Yes	±	±	+	≥35
Malta	No	−	−	−	—
Netherlands	No	−	−	+**	≥36
Norway	No	±**	±**	±**	≥38
Poland	Yes	+	+	+	≥35
Portugal	Yes	+	±	±	≥35
Spain	No	±	±**	±**	≥35
Sweden	No	±	−	−	≥35
Switzerland	Yes	−	+	±***	CVS/amniocentesis not offered primarily on basis of maternal age

+, in place in all areas of country; ±, in place in some areas within country.

^*Screening policy was based on a detection rate, that is a screening test should be offered that had a detection rate for Down's syndrome of >60% for a false-positive rate of <5%.

^**May be private.

^***Primarily first-trimester screening, second-trimester screening for late bookers.