title: Perinatal care and outcome of fetuses with trisomies 13 and 18 following a parental decision not to terminate the pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe pregnancy outcomes of fetuses affected by trisomies 13 and 18 following prenatal diagnosis and a decision to continue the pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A single-center, retrospective study of 34 cases with a diagnosis or strong suspicion of trisomy 13 or 18.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fourteen of 34 (41%) families chose to continue the pregnancy after a diagnosis of trisomy 13 or 18 was made. Nine fetuses subsequently died in utero (IUD). No prenatal signs were predictive of IUD. There were no intrapartum deaths. All 4 live-born babies were delivered vaginally; 2 died immediately after birth in the labor ward whilst 2 were transferred to the neonatal unit, dying at 10 and 11 days, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Couples should be counseled that the precise outcome of trisomy 13 or 18 is unpredictable, and they should receive multidisciplinary support.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Assistance Publique, Hôpitaux de Paris, Louis Mourier Hospital, France.
authors.forename: Jeanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sibiude
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gavard
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Floch-Tudal
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mandelbrot
mesh_terms: D025063:Chromosome Disorders / Q000401:mortality*; D002882:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 13; D002887:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D018743:Perinatal Care; D054238:Perinatal Mortality; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014314:Trisomy; D000073839:Trisomy 13 Syndrome