Anxiety Associated with Prenatal Diagnosis

Abstract

The availability of non-invasive prenatal diagnostic procedures such as sonography appears to have led to a higher rate of acceptance of such procedures, especially in younger patients. The expectations of pregnant women and their partners concerning prenatal diagnosis focus on reducing uncertainty in regards to the normality of the pregnancy. However, any prenatal diagnosis procedure can cause emotional stress in the pregnant woman. There two different types of stress in this situation. There may be anxiety about the invasive nature of the procedure and the attendant risk of the loss of a wanted pregnancy. Separately, there may be anxiety over the outcome of the investigation. Any unexpected finding, especially an abnormal one, often has an adverse impact on the pregnant woman and her partner. With the advent of this now commonly shared experience, the male partner also gives up his role as a passive onlooker and becomes more actively involved in the pregnancy. Couples require multidisciplinary care if an abnormal foetus is diagnosis.