False negative result on prenatal Down's screening may damage parental adjustment

Despite widespread prenatal screening for Down's syndrome, little is known about the psychological adjustment of parents with a negative result who subsequently give birth to a child with Down's syndrome. Hall et al (p 407) studied adjustment in 179 parents of children with Down's syndrome (mean age 4 years). All had undergone screening and received a false negative result or had not been offered or had declined screening. Overall adjustment in all three groups was good, but parents who had received a false negative result were more likely to blame health professionals for the birth of their affected child, a reaction associated with more parental stress and more negative attitudes towards the child.

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Relevant Article

Psychological consequences for parents of false negative results on prenatal screening for Down's syndrome: retrospective interview study

Sue Hall, Martin Bobrow, and Theresa M Marteau
BMJ 2000 320: 407-412. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]