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How parents were told that their unborn child had an extra or missing sex chromosome - a matter of chance

What parents are told after prenatal diagnosis of a sex chromosome abnormality: interview and questionnaire study

Some parents are given misleading information about the condition when they are first informed that their unborn child has a sex chromosome anomaly, finds a study in this week's BMJ. These disturbing findings emphasise the need for established protocols for communicating such results to parents.

Abramsky and colleagues interviewed 29 health professionals who had recently informed parents of a sex chromosome anomaly in an apparently anatomically normal, viable fetus. They found enormous variation between different health professionals in what they knew, thought, and told parents about specific sex chromosome anomalies. Furthermore, some obstetric units have no established protocol for communicating results to parents.

Although there were some examples of excellent counselling, there were other examples of grossly inadequate or frankly misleading information being given, say the authors. It is essential for obstetric units to have an established protocol for giving results and for all staff who communicate results to parents to have accurate, up to date information about the condition identified, they conclude.

Contact:

Lenore Abramsky, Senior Research Officer, Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine, Northwick Park, Harrow, UK Email: l.abramsky@ic.ac.uk

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