Prenatal Screening Ontario (PSO) was created to coordinate  prenatal screening services in Ontario. PSO is Ontario's resource for pregnant individuals, families and health-care professionals looking for information and updates related to prenatal screening.

Road to PSO

With the launch of the Ontario Maternal Serum Screening Program in 1993, a framework for a system of prenatal screening in Ontario was established. The subsequent introduction of nuchal translucency (NT) screening and the shift of serum screening to the hospitals allowed the system to transition from a pilot project to a province-wide initiative in 2003. Over the years, participating laboratories and clinical experts regularly met to support the ongoing provision of high-quality screening in Ontario. In 2016, the Provincial Council for Maternal and Child Health (PCMCH) struck a Prenatal Screening Strategy Task Force, which submitted recommendations to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) outlining the essential principles for a provincial prenatal screening strategy.

In 2017, the Provincial Budget announced that “Ontario is…investing in the creation of a provincial prenatal screening program that will enhance access to standardize and high-quality prenatal screening across the province”; Prenatal Screening Ontario was launched and has been in full operations since 2018.

BORN Ontario

PSO is housed within the province’s maternal, newborn and child registry, the Better Outcomes Registry and Network (BORN) Ontario. BORN Ontario is a prescribed registry established in Ontario under the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA) for the purpose of facilitating and/or improving the provision of health care in our province, with a vision for the best possible beginnings for lifelong health. PSO operates within BORN Ontario’s policies and procedures, including those related to data privacy and security. For more information, please see BORN Ontario’s Data Privacy and Security.

Program reports

Read the 2019-2020 PSO Program Report for more information on the work of Prenatal Screening Ontario and the impact of BORN data.

PSO and BORN Ontario are funded by the Government of Ontario. 

PSO mandate

As a resource for prenatal screening in Ontario, PSO has a mandate to:

• Enhance access to high-quality prenatal screening for all pregnant individuals in Ontario.
• Provide the education supports, information, and transparency needed for health-care practitioners and pregnant individuals and their families to make informed decisions.
• Undertake ongoing quality assurance and system performance evaluation to support all components of the system in functioning effectively and meeting established standards.
• Facilitate the incorporation of evolving technologies or screening options, supporting evidence-based integration.
• Support the ongoing alignment of screening service provision

PSO team

The PSO team is a dedicated, experienced group of individuals committed to the support of high quality prenatal screening for families in Ontario.

The PSO team consists of:

• Medical Directors (MFM/Geneticist)
• Program Manager
• Genetic Counsellors
• Clinical Content Specialist (Ultrasound)
• Epidemiologist
• Data Analyst
• Administrative Staff

How to get involved

The work of PSO is best supported by the input of those who have experience with prenatal screening, as a practitioner, patient or family member.

Find more information on how you can become involved in the ongoing work of our various expert task forces and working groups.

For more information, questions, concerns or general comments about prenatal screening, don't hesitate to contact us at pso@bornontario.ca or using our toll-free information line (833)351-6490.