Observational studyActa obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica2022
The impact of diagnosed fetal anomaly, diagnostic severity and prognostic ambiguity on parental depression and traumatic stress: a prospective longitudinal cohort study.
Observational study in Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Communicating neurological prognosis in the prenatal period: a narrative review and practice guidelines.Pediatric research · 2025Guideline
- Psychological Support in Prenatal Diagnosis: The Parental Perspective.Journal of clinical psychology in medical settings · 2026Article
- Parental Experiences and Psychological Support Needs Following Fetal Diagnosis of Congenital Heart Disease: A Qualitative Study.Pediatric cardiology · 2026Article
- Black parents' views and understanding of prenatal genetic testing: a cross-sectional survey of attitudes, knowledge and trust in UK healthcare.European journal of human genetics : EJHG · 2026Article
- Acute symptoms of depression and traumatic stress in men and women who terminate pregnancy after the detection of fetal anomaly: A prospective observational study.BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology · 2026Observational
- Chinese couples' lived experiences and decision-making on pregnancy continuation following prenatal anomaly detection: phenomenological and theory of planned behaviour insights.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Article
- Parental Perspectives on Prenatal Counseling and Communication at the Time of Initial Evaluation and Diagnosis of Congenital Heart Disease.American journal of perinatology · 2026Article
- "You think everything's fine and then it starts not being fine": a qualitative descriptive study exploring the prenatal testing experiences of Black women living in England.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Article
- Family dynamics after diagnosis and surgical treatment of myelomeningocele: using telemedicine as a complementary tool.Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery · 2025Review
- Perceived Social Support and Depression, Anxiety and Stress in Pregnant Women Diagnosed With Foetal Anomaly.Journal of advanced nursing · 2025Article
- Prenatal Psychosocial Distress Screening for Individuals Experiencing Pregnancies Complicated by Fetal Anomalies.Journal of personalized medicine · 2025Article
- Prenatal Diagnosis of Acrania in One Twin of a Dichorionic Diamniotic Pregnancy: A Case Report on Management and Perinatal Outcome.Reports (MDPI) · 2025Article
- Impact of Paternal Postpartum Depression on Maternal and Infant Health: A Narrative Review of the Literature.Cureus · 2024Review
- Accuracy of prenatal detection of facial clefts and relation between facial clefts, additional malformations and chromosomal abnormalities: a large referral-center cohort.Archives of gynecology and obstetrics · 2024Article
- Harnessing the Power of Artificial Intelligence in Cleft Lip and Palate: An In-Depth Analysis from Diagnosis to Treatment, a Comprehensive Review.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Psychological Impact of a Prenatal Diagnosis of Congenital Heart Disease on Parents: Is It Time for Tailored Psychological Support?Journal of cardiovascular development and disease · 2024Review
- The impact of diagnosed fetal anomaly, diagnostic severity and prognostic ambiguity on parental depression and traumatic stress: a prospective longitudinal cohort study.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2022Observational
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionThe detection of a fetal anomaly during routine obstetric ultrasound is a potentially traumatic experience. The aim of this study is to examine longitudinally the impact of diagnosis of fetal anomaly on symptoms of depression and traumatic stress among mothers and fathers, and to examine how variations in psychological adjustment relate to diagnostic severity and prognostic ambiguity. MATERIAL AND
methodsIn this prospective observational study conducted at a tertiary perinatal referral center, 81 mothers and 69 fathers with ultrasound findings of fetal anomaly completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and Impact of Events Scale (IES) at four time points in pregnancy (T1-T4) and 6 weeks after birth (T5). We compared this with depression and traumatic stress in a sample of non-affected parents (n = 110 mothers, 98 fathers).
resultsLinear mixed effects models indicated that parents who received a diagnosis of fetal anomaly experienced higher levels of depression and traumatic stress over time, compared with non-affected parents. Depression: mean difference mothers = 4.46 ± 0.47, fathers = 2.80 ± 0.42. Traumatic stress: mean difference mothers = 20.04 ± 2.13, fathers = 12.66 ± 1.74. Parents with a more severe diagnosis experienced elevated symptoms compared with parents with a less severe diagnosis. Among mothers, prognostic ambiguity and changes in the anticipated diagnosis after birth were also associated with increased distress, regardless of whether the change was for the better or worse.
conclusionsDiagnosis of fetal anomaly increases risk of depression and traumatic stress in expectant mothers and fathers, both acutely and over time.
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