Knowledge and attitudes toward non-invasive prenatal testing among pregnant Japanese women

To assess the knowledge and attitudes of pregnant Japanese women regarding non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT). Between March and June 2013, 557 pregnant women in the Hyogo and Hiroshima Prefectures were surveyed using an anonymous, self-completed questionnaire. A total of 91.9% respondents (512/557) stated that they "agree" or "conditionally agree" with NIPT implementation in Japan. Approximately 28.5% of respondents stated that they knew that the accuracy of a positive NIPT result can be affected by mother's age and background, while 34.5% of respondents stated that it was necessary for pregnant women with a positive result to undergo fetal chromosome diagnosis using amniocentesis; both percentages were low. Additionally, 92.3% of respondents would "like a detailed explanation of the test," 65.1% of them would "like psychological support if the NIPT test results came back positive," and 5.7% would terminate the pregnancy if the NIPT test results came back positive without undergoing fetal chromosome diagnosis via amniocentesis. Although a high proportion of pregnant Japanese women agreed with the introduction of NIPT into Japanese obstetrical care, there was insufficient knowledge regarding the test. It is necessary for women undergoing NIPT to be provided sufficient information and psychological support.