Mothers' adaptation to antenatal diagnosis of surgically correctable anomalies.
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.
Aite
Lucia
L
Newborn Surgery Unit, Bambino Gesù children's Hospital, Rome, Italy.
Zaccara
Antonio
A
Nahom
Antonella
A
Trucchi
Alessandro
A
Iacobelli
Barbara
B
Bagolan
Pietro
P
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