Prenatal diagnosis: Women’s interactions with practitioners when severe abnormalities are discovered at birth

ABSTRACT

Background

In an increasingly litigious medical environment, this study examined women’s experiences of their interactions with practitioners when severe abnormalities are discovered at birth.

Methods

Eight in-depth interviews with women were conducted in France. Data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.

Results

Four superordinate themes were identified: the importance of attunement to women’s emotions and needs; the possibility of litigation but no direct accusation; reasons for not resorting to litigation; and reframing and positive transformations. Despite experiencing distress, women were reluctant to make a complaint against practitioners. Several factors may account for this, but practitioners’ ability to relate to women with humanity was particularly significant.

Conclusion

Women understood the limits of technology and of the care practitioners can provide, but greatly valued practitioners’ empathic and honest communications. Thus, adopting a transparent and open approach may foster trusting relationships with women/parents. In turn, this may lower the prospect of litigation being brought against practitioners when severe abnormalities are discovered at birth.

KEYWORDS:

• Prenatal diagnosis
• doctor-patient interactions
• foetal abnormalities
• disability
• wrongful birth
• interviews

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was part of the programme ‘Partenariat Institutions - Citoyens pour la Recherche et l’Innovation’ (PICRI) funded by the local Authority Région Ile de France, France. Agreement n° 13020600. Caroline Lafarge was a Research Fellow of the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales at the time of data collection and analysis. The funder had no involvement in the study design, data collection, data analysis, report writing, or on the decision to submit the report for publication.