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“Your baby has Down syndrome”: what is the preferable way to inform parents?

Journal of Perinatology volume 40, pages 1163–1166 (2020)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective

We tested whether mothers of neonates with Down syndrome (DS) prefer to get the diagnosis after delivery in a one-step approach or in a two-step one (information about suggestive findings, followed by additional explicit meeting).

Methods

Mothers were asked whether (1) they had been informed in one or two steps; (2) they would have preferred the other approach.

Results

Of 45 women who completed the questionnaires, 18 (40%) had been informed in a one step and 27 (60%) in two steps. Thirteen of the 18 mothers (72.2%) informed in one step were satisfied with the manner they had been informed, while 19 (70.4%) in the two-step group expressed satisfaction.

Conclusion

Mothers were generally satisfied with the method chosen with them. We speculate that an adaptive, supportive, empathic, caring and honest approach, taking into consideration family cultural and religious backgrounds may be able to optimize the delivery of such news.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neonatology, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel

    Michael S. Schimmel, Francis B. Mimouni & Netanel Wasserteil

  2. Faculty of Medicine of the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel

    Michael S. Schimmel

  3. Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Francis B. Mimouni

  4. Social Work Department, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel

    Tali Mor Yosef

Authors
  1. Michael S. Schimmel
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  2. Francis B. Mimouni
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  3. Tali Mor Yosef
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  4. Netanel Wasserteil
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Contributions

MSS assisted in all aspects of the study conception, design, and organization, data collection and in writing the paper. TMY assisted in organization and data collection, FBM assisted in conception and analysis of data and in writing of the paper, and NW assisted in conception, organizing, and analyzing the data and in writing the paper. All authors reviewed the paper for important intellectual contents and approved the final version. All authors agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Netanel Wasserteil.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Schimmel, M.S., Mimouni, F.B., Yosef, T.M. et al. “Your baby has Down syndrome”: what is the preferable way to inform parents?. J Perinatol 40, 1163–1166 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-020-0701-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-020-0701-6

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