First trimester ultrasound screening

While healthcare professionals in maternity services are good at giving some sorts of information to patients-for example, on nutrition during pregnancy-they may fail to consider the issues of informed consent raised by the use of such a powerful diagnostic tool during routine antenatal care. 3 4 Mo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMJ 1998-09, Vol.317 (7160), p.694-695
Main Authors: McFadyen, Anne, Gledhill, Julia, Whitlow, Barry, Economides, Demetrios
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Counseling
Morbidity
Pregnancy
Prenatal care
Ultrasonic imaging
Womens health
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Summary:While healthcare professionals in maternity services are good at giving some sorts of information to patients-for example, on nutrition during pregnancy-they may fail to consider the issues of informed consent raised by the use of such a powerful diagnostic tool during routine antenatal care. 3 4 Most women being offered these scans are at low risk of fetal abnormality and the scan constitutes their first visual encounter with their baby. In relatively late losses, where there is labour and delivery, the fetus is more likely to be experienced as a real baby, and the process of naming and holding and getting to know the baby may facilitate grieving. 11 Our own clinical impression is that uptake of counselling services is low after termination for fetal abnormality, even among those who report continuing distress.
ISSN:0959-8138
1468-5833
DOI:10.1136/bmj.317.7160.694