A fetal diagnosis places an unexpected psychological burden on parents and triggers a complex pregnancy experience. Parents who choose to continue the pregnancy have unique perspectives as they prepare for birth. It is crucial to understand these families’ experiences to inform their care and support. This qualitative systematic review explored the psychological adjustment of parents who continued gestation after they received a fetal diagnosis. A systematic database search was conducted with subsequent thematic analysis of fourteen included studies. Parents experienced intense initial emotional reactions to the diagnosis including shock and grief, followed by a complex processing period influenced by personal and social factors. The findings demonstrate a need for improved multidisciplinary parental support for families who receive a fetal diagnosis and add rationale for the addition of psychological services to the care teams of prospective parents. Keywords: prenatal, fetal diagnosis, pregnancy, parents, emotions, process
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.