OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to assess the family planning decisions made by women found to be carrying fetuses with chromosome abnormalities or neural tube defects. STUDY DESIGN: We studied the family planning decisions of 132 women carrying fetuses with chromosome abnormalities (n = 91) or neural tube defects (n = 41) with regard to prenatal diagnosis, pregnancy management decision, patient's gravidity, and maternal and gestational age. RESULTS: Twenty women (17 carrying fetuses with chromosome abnormalities and 3 with fetal neural tube defects) elected permanent sterilization after completion of the affected pregnancy. Only maternal age and fetal chromosome abnormalities were associated with a decision to obtain permanent sterilization. CONCLUSIONS: Most women carrying fetuses with chromosome abnormalities or neural tube defects will not choose permanent sterilization after completion of the pregnancy. Delaying such decisions until resolution of grief and depression is now facilitated by the availability of safe, reliable, and relatively long-term reversible contraceptive agents.
OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to assess the family planning decisions made by women found to be carrying fetuses with chromosome abnormalities or neural tube defects. STUDY DESIGN: We studied the family planning decisions of 132 women carrying fetuses with chromosome abnormalities (n = 91) or neural tube defects (n = 41) with regard to prenatal diagnosis, pregnancy management decision, patient's gravidity, and maternal and gestational age. RESULTS: Twenty women (17 carrying fetuses with chromosome abnormalities and 3 with fetal neural tube defects) elected permanent sterilization after completion of the affected pregnancy. Only maternal age and fetal chromosome abnormalities were associated with a decision to obtain permanent sterilization. CONCLUSIONS: Most women carrying fetuses with chromosome abnormalities or neural tube defects will not choose permanent sterilization after completion of the pregnancy. Delaying such decisions until resolution of grief and depression is now facilitated by the availability of safe, reliable, and relatively long-term reversible contraceptive agents.
Entities:
Keywords:
Abortion, Induced; Age Factors; Americas; Behavior; Chromosome Abnormalities; Congenital Abnormalities; Decision Making; Demographic Factors; Developed Countries; Diseases; Examinations And Diagnoses; Family Planning; Fertility Control, Postconception; Genetic Technics; Laboratory Examinations And Diagnoses; Maternal Age; Maternal Age, 35 And Over; Neonatal Diseases And Abnormalities; North America; Northern America; Parental Age; Population; Population Characteristics; Research Report; Retrospective Studies; Sterilization, Sexual; Studies; Tennessee; United States
Authors: Candice Y Johnson; Margaret A Honein; W Dana Flanders; Penelope P Howards; Godfrey P Oakley; Sonja A Rasmussen Journal: Birth Defects Res A Clin Mol Teratol Date: 2012-10-25