Variation in content in prenatal genetic counseling interviews

Area of Science:

• Medical Genetics
• Reproductive Health
• Genetic Counseling

Background:

• Genetic counseling is crucial for advanced maternal age (AMA) clients.
• Pre-test interviews aim to inform clients about genetic risks and testing options.
• Standardized approaches to AMA genetic counseling interviews are not well-documented.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the content of pre-test genetic counseling sessions for AMA clients.
• To identify topics frequently and infrequently addressed by genetic counselors.
• To provide recommendations for enhancing genetic counseling practices.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted with 30 non-MD genetic counselors across five cities.
• Counselors reported the frequency of addressing 16 specific topics during pre-test interviews for AMA clients.
• Data analysis focused on identifying common and uncommon discussion points.

Main Results:

• Family history, procedural details, complication rates, and fetal risk levels were universally discussed.
• Discussions on sex chromosome abnormalities with variable expression, post-abnormality choices, and abortion procedures were less frequent.
• Client discomfort was cited as a reason for minimizing abortion-related discussions.

Conclusions:

• Genetic counseling for AMA clients often omits detailed information on abortion procedures and choices.
• Training programs should emphasize the relevance of abortion risks by trimester for informed decision-making.
• Increased cross-cultural counseling training is recommended due to U.S. demographic shifts.