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Pregnancy & children
Antenatal Screening
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Making decisions about screening :
Thinking about screening and what it is for
Special reasons for wanting screening
Reasons for not having some or all screening
Discussing screening choices with your partner
Attitudes to disability and termination
Information for making decisions
Experiences of screening :
Nuchal translucency scan (low risk results)
Nuchal scan (being told something may be wrong)
Early dating scans
Blood test screening
18-20 week scan (low risk results)
18-20 week scan (being told something may be wrong)
Understanding screening test results
Having further tests and getting results :
Deciding whether to have further diagnostic tests
Having further tests and waiting for results
Getting diagnostic test results
Thoughts, discussions and info after diagnosis
Deciding to continue with the pregnancy :
Making the decision to continue with the pregnancy
What the rest of pregnancy and birth was like
Feelings about screening looking back
Deciding to end the pregnancy :
Making the decision to end the pregnancy
The experience of ending a pregnancy
Feelings and reflections afterwards
Views on screening & feelings in later pregnancies
When screening does not detect a condition :
Learning after birth that the baby has a condition
How it has affected parents' views about screening
Living with disabilities or a chronic condition :
Living with a child with a long term condition
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Antenatal Screening
Subject index
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Pregnancy & children
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Antenatal Screening
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Baby's condition detected after birth
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Interview AN10
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Her baby's hydrocephalus was not detected in pregnancy, but at a scan at 38 weeks she thought the baby looked strange.
Baby born in April 2002 with hydrocephalus which had not been picked up during screening. Baby has had surgery and is making good progress.
Pregnancy & children
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Antenatal Screening
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Baby's condition detected after birth
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Interview AN10
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She knew something was wrong as soon as she saw the baby after birth. The baby went straight to special care.
Baby born in April 2002 with hydrocephalus which had not been picked up during screening. Baby has had surgery and is making good progress.
Pregnancy & children
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Antenatal Screening
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Baby's condition detected after birth
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Interview AN10
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They were told the baby had severe brain damage. It was hard to come to terms with the shock.
Baby born in April 2002 with hydrocephalus which had not been picked up during screening. Baby has had surgery and is making good progress.
Pregnancy & children
>>
Antenatal Screening
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Baby's condition detected after birth
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Interview AN10
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If she had known how bad her daughter's brain damage was expected to be, she might have considered termination, in fact she has made good progress. Sh
Baby born in April 2002 with hydrocephalus which had not been picked up during screening. Baby has had surgery and is making good progress.
Pregnancy & children
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Antenatal Screening
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Baby's condition detected after birth
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Interview AN10
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She felt both guilty that she must have done something wrong to cause the hydrocephalus and angry that it was not detected sooner.
Baby born in April 2002 with hydrocephalus which had not been picked up during screening. Baby has had surgery and is making good progress.
Pregnancy & children
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Antenatal Screening
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Baby's condition detected after birth
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Interview AN10
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As not all problems can be detected at the 20-week scan, she felt more screening should be offered in later pregnancy.
Baby born in April 2002 with hydrocephalus which had not been picked up during screening. Baby has had surgery and is making good progress.
Pregnancy & children
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Antenatal Screening
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Baby's condition detected after birth
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Interview AN10
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Although it was a shock to find her baby had hydrocephalus, she now feels her daughter has been a very positive influence on her life and given her ne
Baby born in April 2002 with hydrocephalus which had not been picked up during screening. Baby has had surgery and is making good progress.
Pregnancy & children
>>
Antenatal Screening
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Baby's condition detected after birth
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Interview AN10
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It helped her to know she was not the only parent to have negative feelings. It was difficult to share these feelings with close family.
Baby born in April 2002 with hydrocephalus which had not been picked up during screening. Baby has had surgery and is making good progress.
Pregnancy & children
>>
Antenatal Screening
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Baby's condition detected after birth
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Interview AN10
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She felt determined to help her daughter make progress, and took pride in her achievements, even though she often felt guilty and tearful about pushin
Baby born in April 2002 with hydrocephalus which had not been picked up during screening. Baby has had surgery and is making good progress.
Pregnancy & children
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Antenatal Screening
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Continuing with an affected pregnancy
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Interview AN15
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Having her daughter has made her less selfish, but looking after her is very tiring. Uncertainty about her future has greatly strained relationships w
Following two miscarriages, during next pregnancy had frequent scans. A scan at 8 months unexpectedly found hydrocephalus and brain problems. Termination offered but rejected.
Pregnancy & children
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Antenatal Screening
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Continuing with an affected pregnancy
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Interview AN15
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The hospital recommended a natural delivery, but she felt a caesarean would be better for the baby.
Following two miscarriages, during next pregnancy had frequent scans. A scan at 8 months unexpectedly found hydrocephalus and brain problems. Termination offered but rejected.
Pregnancy & children
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Antenatal Screening
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Continuing with an affected pregnancy
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Interview AN15
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If she had discovered her daughter's condition earlier in pregnancy, she would at least have had more time to prepare.
Following two miscarriages, during next pregnancy had frequent scans. A scan at 8 months unexpectedly found hydrocephalus and brain problems. Termination offered but rejected.
Pregnancy & children
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Antenatal Screening
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Continuing with an affected pregnancy
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Interview AN15
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She felt screening was not effective in her case. She would have screening again another time but would want more scans.
Following two miscarriages, during next pregnancy had frequent scans. A scan at 8 months unexpectedly found hydrocephalus and brain problems. Termination offered but rejected.
Pregnancy & children
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Antenatal Screening
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Ending an affected pregnancy
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Interview AN17
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She wished in retrospect they had taken longer to make the decision to end the pregnancy.
Hydrocephalus detected by 20-week scan and amniocentesis in first pregnancy. Felt the decision to end the pregnancy was rushed. Miscarriage and two healthy pregnancies since.
Pregnancy & children
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Antenatal Screening
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Ending an affected pregnancy
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Interview AN17
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She felt staff were unsympathetic during the termination at 23 weeks. Her memories of the baby she wanted and loved were affected by how staff behaved
Hydrocephalus detected by 20-week scan and amniocentesis in first pregnancy. Felt the decision to end the pregnancy was rushed. Miscarriage and two healthy pregnancies since.
Pregnancy & children
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Antenatal Screening
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Ending an affected pregnancy
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Interview AN17
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Sometimes she wishes she had not made the decision to end the pregnancy so quickly, and has mixed feelings about whether she did the right thing.
Hydrocephalus detected by 20-week scan and amniocentesis in first pregnancy. Felt the decision to end the pregnancy was rushed. Miscarriage and two healthy pregnancies since.
Pregnancy & children
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Antenatal Screening
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Ending an affected pregnancy
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Interview AN17
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She thought her baby's hydrocephalus may have been suspected at the nuchal scan in her first pregnancy but she was not told.
Hydrocephalus detected by 20-week scan and amniocentesis in first pregnancy. Felt the decision to end the pregnancy was rushed. Miscarriage and two healthy pregnancies since.
Pregnancy & children
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Antenatal Screening
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Ending an affected pregnancy
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Interview AN17
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She was worried in the waiting room between scans, and would rather have been told immediately that they suspected hydrocephalus.
Hydrocephalus detected by 20-week scan and amniocentesis in first pregnancy. Felt the decision to end the pregnancy was rushed. Miscarriage and two healthy pregnancies since.
Pregnancy & children
>>
Antenatal Screening
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Ending an affected pregnancy
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Interview AN17
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She would have liked a scan photo to remember the baby, but was too embarrassed to ask.
Hydrocephalus detected by 20-week scan and amniocentesis in first pregnancy. Felt the decision to end the pregnancy was rushed. Miscarriage and two healthy pregnancies since.
Pregnancy & children
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Antenatal Screening
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Ending an affected pregnancy
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Interview AN17
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She felt too much information about the process of termination might have deterred her from having one. She wanted information and guidance in stages.
Hydrocephalus detected by 20-week scan and amniocentesis in first pregnancy. Felt the decision to end the pregnancy was rushed. Miscarriage and two healthy pregnancies since.
Pregnancy & children
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Antenatal Screening
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Normal results or declining screening
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Interview AN09
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She was referred to a prenatal diagnosis clinic because of anxiety about a family history of stillbirth and hydrocephalus. A scan at 13 weeks was reas
Routine screening in two pregnancies - declined screening for Down's syndrome. Family history of hydrocephalus led to early prenatal counselling but no risk identified.
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