Famous Dutch group speaks out against Down’s Syndrome test

A group of dozens of famous Dutch people expressed their concerns about the introduction of the NIP-test in the Netherlands in an open letter in the Volkskrant on Monday. The NIPT is a non-invasive test that can determine whether an unborn child will have Down's syndrome, among other syndromes.

The signatories call that the test not be offered as a standard test to all pregnant women. "The more accessible screening for Down's syndrome becomes, the more and more we move towards a society that has less and less space for children with Down's. A child with Down's syndrome increasingly becomes a child that could have been prevented", they write.

The letter was initiated by Christian party ChristenUnie and Linda Germs, who has a son with Down's syndrome. The letter is signed by, among others, comedian Herman Finkers, cyclist Marianne Vos and singer Willeke Alberti.