title: A prospective study on parental coping 4 months after termination of pregnancy for fetal anomalies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify short-term factors influencing psychological outcome of termination of pregnancy for fetal anomaly, in order to define those patients most vulnerable to psychopathology.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective cohort of 217 women and 169 men completed standardized questionnaires 4 months after termination. Psychological adjustment was measured by the Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG), the Impact of Event Scale (IES), the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women and men showed high levels of posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms (44 and 22%, respectively) and symptoms of depression (28 and 16%, respectively). Determinants of adverse psychological outcome were the following: high level of doubt in the decision period, inadequate partner support, low self-efficacy, lower parental age, being religious, and advanced gestational age. Whether the condition was Down syndrome or another disability was irrelevant to the outcome. Termination did not have an important effect on future reproductive intentions. Only 2% of women and less than 1% of men regretted the decision to terminate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Termination of pregnancy (TOP) for fetal anomaly affects parents deeply. Four months after termination a considerable part still suffers from posttraumatic stress symptoms and depressive feelings. Patients who are at high risk could benefit from intensified support.
authors.affiliation: Department of Perinatology and Gynaecology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, The Netherlands. m.korenromp@umcutrecht.nl
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Korenromp
authors.forename: G C M L
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Page-Christiaens
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van den Bout
authors.forename: E J H
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Mulder
authors.forename: J A M
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hunfeld
authors.forename: C M A A
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Potters
authors.forename: J J H M
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Erwich
authors.forename: C J M
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: van Binsbergen
authors.forename: J T J
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Brons
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Beekhuis
authors.forename: A W J
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Omtzigt
authors.forename: G H A
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Visser
mesh_terms: D000025:Abortion, Eugenic / Q000523:psychology*; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000002:abnormalities*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires