A hospital failed to return calls from a pregnant woman told last month that she may have received inaccurate genetic test results, it was claimed yesterday.
Her husband said she was one of 52 people that the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG), admitted may have been given inaccurate test results.
The test results she received gave her the impression she was unlikely to have a child with Fragile X syndrome, an autism-like disability, which affects male children.
It emerged the Galway test may not have been sensitive enough when a patient who received a normal test result from the Galway diagnostic testing centre subsequently got a different result when tested at the National Centre for Medical Genetics at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin.
An internal review began at NUIG and the doctors of the 52 people who may have got incorrect results were contacted and given the numbers of two genetic counsellors in Crumlin whom patients could contact to discuss concerns and arrange retesting.
A man who contacted yesterday's Liveline programme on RTÉ claimed his wife's doctor had rung the counsellors "numerous" times but could only get an answering machine and the calls were not returned. He said his wife was worried as she had reached month three of her pregnancy. He added there were already five boys in his extended family born with Fragile X syndrome.
A spokeswoman for Our Lady's Hospital said anybody who had left a message for the counsellors had their calls returned. If people called and did not leave messages, there was no way of getting back in touch, she added.