Parental information about the possibility of applying for pregnancy termination after detection of a congenital abnormality and factors influencing parental decision-making: a cohort study

Background: To identify the association between the severity of prenatally diagnosed abnormalities and parental information about pregnancy termination and identify demographic and clinical variables influencing the parental decision. Methods: An observational cohort study of fetuses diagnosed with an abnormality in the prenatal screening program between 2014 and 2016 in Denmark. We categorized the abnormalities in five long-term prognosis groups, and the association to the doctor's information about termination was described. We tested the association between demographic and clinical variables and the parental decision using univariate and multivariate statistical analysis. Results: Three hundred twenty fetuses were diagnosed with an abnormality. In 67% of these cases, the parents were informed about termination. All parents were informed in cases with a lethal prognosis, 98% with genetic disorders, 96% with poor, 69% with uncertain, and 12% with a good prognosis. Of these parents, 92% choose to terminate. The long-term prognosis of the abnormalities was the only significant factor in the parental decision-making process. Conclusions: Doctors mainly informed parents about pregnancy termination for conditions with a poor or lethal long-term prognosis or chromosomal abnormalities. The severity of the abnormalities was the only significant factor associated with the parental decision to terminate the pregnancy.