ArticlePrenatal diagnosis2025
Confronting the Taboo of Multifetal Pregnancy Reduction: A Qualitative Study of Maternal Decision-Making in Triplet Pregnancies.
Article in Prenatal diagnosis, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 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
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Consensus on the Content of an Instrument to Assess Psychological Distress Following Multifetal Pregnancy Reduction: A Delphi Study.Nursing open · 2026Article
- The experiences of Chinese pregnant women who have undergone fetal reduction: a qualitative study.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Multiple pregnancies: Nordic perspective and challenges.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2026Article
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
objectiveTo explore the personal experiences of women faced with the decision to continue a triplet pregnancy or undergo multifetal pregnancy reduction.
methodsA qualitative study with semi-structured interviews was conducted between October 2021 and April 2023. Participants included women who continued a triplet pregnancy, and those who underwent multifetal pregnancy reduction from triplet to twins or singletons, 1-6 years post-decision. Interviews focused on: (1) the decision-making process, and (2) the emotional aspects and psychological impact of the decision. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns, involving familiarization, defining themes, and producing the final report.
resultsData saturation was achieved after 16 interviews, revealing two main themes: (1) maternal intuition as a guiding force, and (2) navigating the crossroads: coping and reflection on the decision. These themes illustrate an interplay between maternal intuition and intrinsic feelings in the decision whether to perform multifetal pregnancy reduction, seemingly less influenced by external factors. Mothers who adhere to their intuition (15/16) have a low likelihood of experiencing regret. Despite the inclination to share and seek support, a persistent taboo surrounds the topic of multifetal pregnancy reduction. The findings also emphasize a considerable gap in aftercare for women, regardless of their decision.
conclusionThere is a need for improved care and support for parents facing the decision of continuing a triplet pregnancy or deciding on multifetal pregnancy reduction. Efforts should focus on fostering open societal dialog about this taboo subject, and addressing the gap in aftercare to provide comprehensive support to women post-decision and post-birth, thereby establishing a more supportive and compassionate framework.
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.