Prenatal Care of Parents Who Continued Pregnancies With Down Syndrome, 2003-2022.

Abstract

Parents of children with Down syndrome have historically reported poor experiences receiving a prenatal diagnosis. In a 2003 survey, mothers reported that their physicians pitied them, emphasized negative aspects of Down syndrome, and encouraged them to terminate the pregnancy. This study assesses whether parents' perceptions have since improved. Community-based organizations that had distributed the original 2003 survey distributed a similar survey to parents who have had a child with Down syndrome since 2003. Compared to the 2003 survey, parents continued to report dissatisfaction with their prenatal medical care (N = 60). Though subgroups became likelier to view their testing experience positively, parents' experiences worsened on certain metrics. Most parents reported dissatisfaction when providers conveyed pity or attempted to influence their decision-making about the pregnancy. Interventions to date have failed to improve parents' perceptions of their prenatal medical support, urging new strategies to improve parents' care.