ArticleActa obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica2024
Psychological sequelae following second-trimester termination of pregnancy: A longitudinal study.
Article in Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Phenomenological study of the lived experiences of pregnant women following the diagnosis of fetal abnormalities in the second half of pregnancy.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Early versus late termination for fetal anomalies: Women's perspectives and psychological impact in a mixed methods study.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2026Article
- Miscarriage Tissue Research: Still in Its Infancy.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Effects of a WeChat-based PERMA model positive psychological intervention on Chinese women after termination of pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Parental Acceptance of Fetal Tissue Donation.JAMA network open · 2024Article
- Psychological sequelae following second-trimester termination of pregnancy: A longitudinal study.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionThe decision to terminate a pregnancy due to fetal anomalies can have a significant emotional impact, especially in second-trimester terminations. Previous studies on the psychological consequences of pregnancy termination have had limitations, and little is known about the outcomes for partners and the impact of fetal donation. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the psychological effects of second-trimester pregnancy termination and identify factors associated with outcomes in both women and men, including donation of fetal remains to science. MATERIAL AND
methodsA longitudinal cohort study was conducted at the Amsterdam UMC in the Netherlands, involving women and partners who underwent termination at or before 23 weeks and 6 days of gestation. Questionnaires were administered at termination, 6 weeks, and 4 months after. We utilized validated questionnaires to assess psychological morbidity (grief, post-traumatic stress and postnatal depression and quality of life [QoL]), and factors that could potentially influence outcomes.
resultsOf 241 participants, women displayed more pronounced psychological distress than men, though both groups improved over time. Four months after termination, 27.4% of women and 9.1% of men showed signs of pathological grief. Scores indicative for postnatal depression occurred in 19.8% women and 4.1% of men. A prior psychiatric history was a consistent predictor of poorer outcomes. Fetal donation to the Dutch Fetal Biobank was associated with reduced likelihood of symptoms of complicated grief four months after termination.
conclusionsSecond-trimester termination of pregnancy for fetal anomalies can lead to psychological morbidity, particularly in women. However, there is a notable improvement over time for both groups. Individuals with prior psychiatric history appear more vulnerable post-termination. Also, fetal donation to science did not have a negative impact on psychological well-being.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.