Health care professionals' attitudes about pregnancy termination for different fetal anomalies

Health care professionals (HCPs) may be involved in counselling women after an antenatal diagnosis of various fetal anomalies. Many pregnant women consider termination of pregnancy (TOP) after antenatal diagnosis of various fetal anomalies. Little is known, however, about the attitudes of HCPs regarding TOP for specific antenatal diagnoses.

To determine the attitudes and opinions of HCPs in maternal and child health regarding TOP for fetal anomalies of varying severity.

AN ANONYMOUS QUESTIONNAIRE WAS DISTRIBUTED TO FOUR GROUPS OF HCPS: obstetric residents; paediatric residents; delivery room nurses; and neonatal intensive care nurses. Respondents were asked about TOP if they or their spouse were to receive an antenatal diagnosis for five prenatally diagnosed conditions: trisomy 21; trisomy 18; cleft lip and palate; Turner syndrome; and hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

Two hundred eighty HCPs answered the questionnaire (90% response rate). Ten per cent of respondents would not consider TOP under any of the circumstances described. Among those who would consider TOP, they were most likely to do so for trisomy 18 and least likely for cleft lip and palate, and fairly evenly divided among the remaining three conditions (hypoplastic left heart syndrome [65%], trisomy 21 [56%] and Turner syndrome [37%]). Paediatric residents were less likely to choose TOP than other groups and obstetrics residents were most likely.

Attitudes of HCPs toward TOP vary according to prenatally identified condition and professional group. More rigorous analysis should be performed regarding the process of counselling and the impact of HCPs beliefs on parental decisions.