Pediatric perspective on prenatal counseling for myelomeningocele
Daniel Doherty1, David B Shurtleff
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA. ddoher@u.washington.edu
Insights
Prenatal diagnosis of spina bifida has increased counseling needs. Experienced pediatric physicians offer unique insights for informed decisions and preparation for affected births.
Area of Science:
- Medical Genetics
- Prenatal Diagnosis
- Pediatric Care
Background:
- Advances in ultrasound and laboratory testing have improved prenatal diagnosis of spina bifida.
- This has led to an increased demand for prenatal counseling services.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the importance of experienced pediatric input in prenatal counseling for spina bifida.
- To provide an overview of issues encountered during prenatal counseling sessions.
Main Methods:
- Review of issues encountered during prenatal counseling for spina bifida.
- Emphasis on the value of a pediatric perspective.
Main Results:
- Physicians with expertise in spina bifida care provide unique and valuable information.
- This specialized knowledge is often unavailable from other sources.
Conclusions:
- The pediatric perspective significantly enhances prenatal counseling for spina bifida.
- Informed decision-making and preparation for affected births are improved by this specialized input.
Background:
Over the past 35 years, advances in the prenatal diagnosis of spina bifida using ultrasound and laboratory testing have increased the number of patients seeking prenatal counseling.
Methods:
Traditionally, this counseling has been provided by practitioners with little direct experience in the care of individuals with spina bifida across their life span.
Results:
Physicians experienced in the care of children with spina bifida are able to provide information that is not available from other sources.
Conclusions:
This review provides a broad overview of many of the issues encountered during prenatal counseling sessions and emphasizes the additional value of the pediatric perspective during the process of informed decision making or preparation for an the birth of an affected child.
