FAMILY-PLANNING DECISIONS AFTER PRENATAL DETECTION OF FETAL ABNORMALITIES

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to assess the family planning decisions mad e by women found to be carrying fetuses with chromosome abnormalities or neural tube defects. STUDY DESIGN: We studied the family planning d ecisions of 132 women carrying fetuses with chromosome abnormalities ( n = 91) or neural tube defects (n = 41) with regard to prenatal diagno sis, pregnancy management decision, patient's gravidity, and maternal and gestational age. RESULTS: Twenty women (17 carrying fetuses with c hromosome abnormalities and 3 with fetal neural tube defects) elected permanent sterilization after completion of the affected pregnancy. On ly maternal age and fetal chromosome abnormalities were associated wit h a decision to obtain permanent sterilization. CONCLUSIONS: Most wome n carrying fetuses with chromosome abnormalities or neural tube defect s will not choose permanent sterilization after completion of the preg nancy. Delaying such decisions until resolution of grief and depressio n is now facilitated by the availability of safe, reliable, and relati vely long-term reversible contraceptive agents.