Abstract
Background: Chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) may detect variants of uncertain clinical significance (VUS) and susceptibility loci (SL) with incomplete penetrance for neurodevelopmental disorders. This qualitative study provides empirical data on women's experiences with receiving such findings in pregnancy and their decisions regarding continuation or termination of the pregnancy. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with women who received a VUS and/or SL from prenatal CMA in the last 2–4 years and were analyzed using Grounded Theory. Results: The vast majority of women recalled being stressed by the findings. All women sought further advice and information to be able to decide whether to continue or terminate their pregnancy. The three pregnancies that were terminated have in common a de novo SL with a 10%–20% penetrance. Similar reasoning (coping with uncertainty, the quest for a perfect child, and a chance for recurrence in future pregnancies) led different women to contradicting conclusions regarding their pregnancies. All women felt satisfied with their decisions. Conclusion: Although uncertain/probabilistic information commonly involves a psychological burden, it may also be perceived as valuable and actionable. Pre-test parental choice regarding the disclosure of such information could allow personalized utilization of advanced genomic tests in pregnancy.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 773-780 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Prenatal Diagnosis |
| Volume | 46 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The authors would like to thank all the women who participated in these interviews without whom this study would not have been possible. This work was supported by the Israel National Institute for Health Policy Research (grant no. 2015/82).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.