Communication of the diagnosis of Down's syndrome and spina bifida in Scotland 1971-1981.

A questionnaire completed by the mothers of 123 children with Down's syndrome and 109 children with Spina bifida, born over the past 10 years in Scotland has noted a marked improvement in the time of telling mothers of the diagnosis of Down's syndrome, 88% being told within a week of the birth. Only just over half of the mothers felt that the person telling them made a good job of the task, and most were told without their husband being present. Although both parents knew nothing about the particular handicap, one third of the Down's mothers and over a half of the mothers of Spina bifida children were given no further opportunity to ask more about the child or their feelings. This poor opinion of mothers on the ability of health professionals to tell them of their handicapped children indicates a need to incorporate special teaching on such situations in medical and nursing training, and to agree simple protocols within newborn units, so that such tragedies may be avoided.