Letter: Backing Bart's

As satisfied customers of St Bartholomew's ante-natal 'triple test' for Down's Syndrome, we feel that Brian Wilson's attack ('Our humanity put to the test', 6 September) misses the point. We agree that it is repugnant to compare the financial costs of screening with those of caring for a Down's Syndrome child, but if Mr Wilson accepts, as he says he does, the right of parents to make an informed choice about whether to proceed with a Down's Syndrome pregnancy, the Bart's test should be welcomed.

Screening is already widely practised through amniocentesis, which can cause miscarriages. The Bart's test is risk-free, and can help couples to decide whether to risk an 'amnio'. And it merely indicates a risk factor, on the sole strength of which, no responsible person would seek an abortion.

Lesley Holland

Stephen Engelhard

London N19