title: Mothers' adaptation to antenatal diagnosis of surgically correctable anomalies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the applicability of Drotar model when the diagnosis of congenital malformation is made antenatally.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a 3-year period (2000-2003) fifty mothers, counselled for fetal malformations amenable to surgical correction at birth, were interviewed. Statistical associations were sought between each stage of the adaptation process and type of anomaly, gestational age at diagnosis, maternal age, educational background and previous miscarriage. Emotional experience at each stage was studied as dichotomous variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fetuses were affected by the following anomalies: abdominal wall defects (11), intestinal atresia (14) and diaphragmatic hernia (25). All mothers experienced stage one, two and three. No association was found between anger, type of anomaly, maternal age, educational background, and age at diagnosis. On the contrary, such association was statistically significant for previous miscarriage. Thirty-nine mothers reached the adaptation stage while none of them experienced that of reorganization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite significant differences, the adaptation process proposed by Drotar to describe parents reactions is applicable in prenatal age.
authors.affiliation: Newborn Surgery Unit, Bambino Gesù children's Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aite
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zaccara
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nahom
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trucchi
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Iacobelli
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bagolan
mesh_terms: D034861:Abdominal Wall / Q000002:abnormalities; D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000523:psychology; D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D004380:Duodenal Obstruction / Q000151:congenital; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006548:Hernia, Diaphragmatic / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007409:Intestinal Atresia / Q000175:diagnosis; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires