title: Prenatally diagnosed fetal conditions in the age of fetal care: does who counsels matter?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to characterize practices and attitudes of maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) and fetal care pediatric (FCP) specialists regarding fetal abnormalities.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a self-administered survey of 434 MFMs and FCPs (response rate: MFM 60.9%; FCP 54.2%).
  
  
  RESULTS
  For Down syndrome (DS), congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), spina bifida: MFMs were more likely than FCPs to support termination (DS 52% vs 35%, P < .001; CDH 49% vs 36%, P < .001; spina bifida 54% vs 35%, P < .001), and consider offering termination options as highly important (DS 90% vs 70%, P < .001; CDH 88% vs 69%, P < .001; spina bifida 88% vs 70%, P < .001). For DS only, MFMs were less likely than FCPs to think that pediatric specialist consultation should be offered prior to a decision regarding termination (54% vs 75%, P < .001). MFMs reported report higher termination rates among patients only for DS (DS 51% vs 21%, P < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MFM and FCP specialists' counseling attitudes differ for fetal abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Stephen.brown@childrens.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Stephen D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Jeffrey L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ecker
authors.forename: Johanna R M
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: Elkan F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Halpern
authors.forename: Sadath A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Sayeed
authors.forename: Terry L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Buchmiller
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Donelan
mesh_terms: D000025:Abortion, Eugenic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000175:diagnosis*; D037001:Directive Counseling; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008427:Maternal Health Services; D008875:Middle Aged; D010372:Pediatrics; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires