Decision outcomes in women offered noninvasive prenatal test (NIPT) for positive Down screening results

• Published in: The journal of maternal-fetal & neonatal medicine Vol. 32; no. 2; pp. 348 - 350
• Main Authors: Lo, Tsz-Kin, Chan, Kelvin Yuen-Kwong, Kan, Anita Sik-Yau, So, Po-Lam, Kong, Choi-Wah, Mak, Shui-Lam, Lee, Chung-Nin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 17-01-2019
• Subjects: Abortion, Induced - psychology; Abortion, Induced - statistics & numerical data; Adult; Anxiety - epidemiology; Anxiety - etiology; Conflict (Psychology); Decision Making - physiology; Down Syndrome - diagnosis; Emotions; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Maternal Serum Screening Tests - methods; Maternal Serum Screening Tests - psychology; Pregnancy; Prenatal Diagnosis - methods; Prenatal Diagnosis - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; anxiety; decision conflict; screening; Down syndrome; decision regret; Non-invasive prenatal test
• ISSN: 1476-7058; 1476-4954
• DOI: 10.1080/14767058.2017.1378323

In this first Asian study, the decision outcomes (decision conflict, decision regret, and anxiety) of 262 pregnant women offered noninvasive prenatal test (NIPT) for high-risk Down screening results were assessed. Decision conflict was experienced by 3.5% and level of decisional regret low (mean score 15.7, 95%CI 13.2-18.3). All 13 cases of decisional regret were NIPT acceptors. Elevated anxiety was experienced by 55.9% at the time of decision making about NIPT and persistent in 30.3%. Insufficient knowledge about NIPT was associated with elevated anxiety at decision making (p = .011) and with decisional regret (p = .016). Decisional regret was associated with prolonged anxiety (p = .010).