D N Rausch1, G M Lambert-Messerlian, J A Canick. 1. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Women and Infants Hospital, Brown University School of Medicine, 70 Elm St, Providence, RI 02903, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether women who have had a positive serum screening result for Down syndrome or neural tube defect in 1 pregnancy have a lower rate of participation in screening in their next pregnancy. SETTING: A triple-marker screening program at a university hospital. METHODS: Pregnancy and screening information was collected from laboratory and hospital databases to compare subsequent screening participation of women who were screen-negative and screen-positive for the risk of a fetus with Down syndrome or a neural tube defect. RESULTS: In an age-matched comparison, 108 women who had a previous screen-positive result were significantly less likely than 108 women who were screen-negative to participate in maternal serum screening in their next pregnancy. When examined according to the type of screen-positive result, the effect was significant for both those who were screen-positive for Down syndrome and those who were screen-positive for neural tube defect. The degree of risk in screen-positive women did not significantly affect their participation in screening in the next pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Anxiety related to a screen-positive result probably causes decreased participation in maternal serum screening in the next pregnancy. Reducing the screen-positive rate in prenatal serum screening would alleviate maternal anxiety and would probably lead to more stable participation.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether women who have had a positive serum screening result for Down syndrome or neural tube defect in 1 pregnancy have a lower rate of participation in screening in their next pregnancy. SETTING: A triple-marker screening program at a university hospital. METHODS: Pregnancy and screening information was collected from laboratory and hospital databases to compare subsequent screening participation of women who were screen-negative and screen-positive for the risk of a fetus with Down syndrome or a neural tube defect. RESULTS: In an age-matched comparison, 108 women who had a previous screen-positive result were significantly less likely than 108 women who were screen-negative to participate in maternal serum screening in their next pregnancy. When examined according to the type of screen-positive result, the effect was significant for both those who were screen-positive for Down syndrome and those who were screen-positive for neural tube defect. The degree of risk in screen-positive women did not significantly affect their participation in screening in the next pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS:Anxiety related to a screen-positive result probably causes decreased participation in maternal serum screening in the next pregnancy. Reducing the screen-positive rate in prenatal serum screening would alleviate maternal anxiety and would probably lead to more stable participation.