Women's Health Issues
Volume 18, Issue 2 , Pages 79-84 , March 2008

Pregnant Women’s Attitudes Toward Amniocentesis Before Receiving Down Syndrome Screening Results

  • Bojana Brajenović-Milić

      Affiliations

    • Department of Biology and Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
    • Bojana Brajenović-Milić, PhD, is a full Professor in the Department of Biology and Medical Genetics at the University of Rijeka School of Medicine. She is working in the field of prenatal diagnostics. She is the Coordinator of the scientific project named “Screening for Down syndrome” supported by a grant (No. 062-0000000-1349) from the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, Zagreb, Croatia.
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: Professor Bojana Brajenović-Milić, Department of Biology and Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Braće Branchetta 22 51000 Rijeka, Croatia. Phone: 385-51-651 128; fax: 385-51-678 896.
  • ,
  • Ivana Babić

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medical Informatics, School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
    • Ivana Babić, MD, is a research fellow in the Department of Biology and Medical Genetics at the University of Rijeka School of Medicine. She is Biomedicine Doctoral Candidate and currently serves in the project “Screening for Down syndrome.”
  • ,
  • Smiljana Ristić

      Affiliations

    • Department of Biology and Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
    • Smiljana Ristić, PhD, is an associate Professor in the Department of Biology and Medical Genetics at the University of Rijeka School of Medicine. She is working in the field of medical genetics and participates in the project “Screening for Down syndrome.”
  • ,
  • Jadranka Vraneković

      Affiliations

    • Department of Biology and Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
    • Jadranka Vraneković, MS, is a senior assistant in the Department of Biology and Medical Genetics at the University of Rijeka School of Medicine. She is Biomedicine Doctoral Candidate and participates in the project “Screening for Down syndrome.”
  • ,
  • Gordana Brumini

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medical Informatics, School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
    • Gordana Brumini, PhD, is a senior assistant in the Department of Medical Informatics at the University of Rijeka School of Medicine. She is working in the field of biostatistics.
  • ,
  • Miljenko Kapović

      Affiliations

    • Department of Biology and Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
    • Miljenko Kapović, PhD, is a full Professor and the head of the Department of Biology and Medical Genetics at the University of Rijeka School of Medicine. He is working in the field of medical genetics.

Received 2 May 2007 ,Revised 5 October 2007 ,Accepted 5 October 2007.

References 

  1. Bekker HL, Hewison J, Thornton JG. Applying decision analysis to facilitate informed decision making about prenatal diagnosis for Down syndrome: a randomised controlled trial. Prenatal Diagnosis. 2004;24:265–275
  2. Brajenović-Milić B, Tišlarić D, Paravić J, Silvar A, Kapović M, Košec V, et al. Screening for Down’s syndrome and neural tube defect in Croatia. Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy. 1998;13:367–371
  3. Breckler SJ. Empirical validation of affect, behaviour, and cognition as distinct components of attitude. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1984;47:1191–1205
  4. Hunt LM, de Voogd KB, Castañeda H. The routine and the traumatic in prenatal genetic diagnosis: does clinical information inform patient decision-making?. Patient Education and Counseling. 2005;56:302–312
  5. Julian-Reynier C, Macquart-Moulin G, Moatti JP, Aurran Y, Chabal F, Ayme S. Reasons for women’s non uptake of amniocentesis. Prenatal Diagnosis. 1994;14:859–864
  6. Julian-Reynier C, Macquart-Moulin G, Moatti JP, Loundou A, Auerran Y, Chabal F, et al. Attitudes of women of childbearing age towards prenatal diagnosis in southeastern France. Prenatal Diagnosis. 1993;13:613–627
  7. Lam YH, Ghosh A, Tang MHY, Tang LCH, Lee CP, Sin SY, et al. Second-trimester maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein and human chorionic gonadotrophin screening for Down’s syndrome in Hong Kong. Prenatal Diagnosis. 1998;18:585–589
  8. Markens S, Browner CH, Press N. ‘Because of the risks’: how Us pregnant women account for refusing prenatal screening. Social Science & Medicine. 1999;49:359–369
  9. Marteau TM, Cook R, Kidd J, Michie S, Johnston M, Slack J, et al. The psychological effects of false-positive results in prenatal screening for fetal abnormality: a prospective study. Prenatal Diagnosis. 1992;12:205–214
  10. Marteau TM, Kidd J, Cook R, Michie S, Johnston M, Slack J, et al. Perceived risk not actual risk predicts uptake of amniocentesis. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 1991;98:282–286
  11. Mavrou A, Metaxotou C, Trichopoulos D. Awareness and use of prenatal diagnosis among Greek women: a national survey. Prenatal Diagnosis. 1998;18:349–355
  12. Michie S, Dormandy E, Marteau TM. Informed choice: understanding knowledge in the context of screening uptake. Patient Education and Counseling. 2003;50:247–253
  13. Mueller VM, Huang T, Summers AM, Winson SHM. The influence of risk estimates obtained from maternal serum screening on amniocentesis rates. Prenatal Diagnosis. 2005;25:1253–1257
  14. Oppenheim AN. Questionnaire Design, Interviewing and Attitude Measurement. London: Continuum; 1992;
  15. Paravić J, Brajenović-Milić B, Tišlarić D, Kapović M, Botica A, Jurcan V, et al. Maternal serum screening for Down syndrome: a survey of pregnant women’s views. Community Genetics. 1999;2:109–112
  16. Priest JH, FitzGerald JM, Haag MM, Streets K, Vanisko M, Johnson JP. Acceptance of amniocentesis by women in the state of Montana (USA) who are screen positive for Down’s syndrome. Journal of Medical Screening. 1998;5:178–182
  17. Santalahti P, Aro AR, Hemminki E, Helenius H, Ryynänen M. On what grounds do women participate in prenatal screening?. Prenatal Diagnosis. 1998;18:153–165
  18. Saucier JB, Johnston D, Wicklund CA, Robbins-Furman P, Hecht JT, Monga M. Racial-ethnic differences in genetic amniocentesis uptake. Journal of Genetic Counseling. 2005;14:189–195
  19. Seidenfeld MJ, Antley RM. Genetic counseling: a comparison of counselee’s genetic knowledge before and after (Part III). American Journal of Medical Genetics. 1981;10:107–112
  20. Sorenson JR, Swazey JP, Scotch NA, Kavanagh CM, Matthews DB. Reproductive pasts, reproductive futures: Genetic counseling and its effectiveness. Birth Defects, original article series XVII(4). New York: Allan R Liss; 1981;
  21. Tercyak KP, Johnson SB, Roberts SF, Cruz AC. Psychological response to prenatal genetic counseling and amniocentesis. Patient Education and Counseling. 2001;43:73–84
  22. van den Berg M, Timmermans DR, Kleinveld JH, Garcia E, van Vugt JMG, van der Wal G. Accepting or declining the offer of prenatal screening for congenital defects: test uptake and women’s reasons. Prenatal Diagnosis. 2005;25:84–90
  23. van den Berg M, Timmermans DRM, Ten Kate LP, van Vugt JMG, van der Wal G. Are pregnant women making informed choices about prenatal screening?. Genetics in Medicine. 2005;7:332–338
  24. Vergani P, Locatelli A, Biffi A, Ciriello E, Zagarella A, Pezzullo JC, et al. Factors affecting the decision regarding amniocentesis in women at genetic risk because of age 35 years or older. Prenatal Diagnosis. 2002;22:769–774
  25. Wilson TD, Gilbert DT. Affective forecasting. In:  Zanna M editors. Advances in experimental social psychology. New York: Elsevier; 2003;p. 345–411

 Supported by a grant (No. 062-0000000-1349) from the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, Zagreb, Croatia.

PII: S1049-3867(07)00149-1

doi: 10.1016/j.whi.2007.10.003

Women's Health Issues
Volume 18, Issue 2 , Pages 79-84 , March 2008