title: Professional opinion on oral cleft during pregnancy: a comparison between Israel and The Netherlands.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess the opinion of obstetric care providers who perform prenatal ultrasounds to screen for anomalies and who advise women about their options, including termination of pregnancy, when an oral cleft is detected. We compared providers' opinions about pregnancy termination for isolated oral cleft in The Netherlands, where the number of terminations is low, and in Israel, where the number is high.
  
  
  METHODS
  Online questionnaires were used. The questions assessed the providers' views regarding the estimated burden of treatment, the functioning ability, and the level of happiness of children with an oral cleft and their parents. Additionally, we assessed providers' opinions on pregnancy termination for isolated oral cleft.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In The Netherlands, more professionals considered oral cleft a disability (rate differences 17.8%, 95% confidence interval: 0.5-33.1%) than in Israel. In the Netherlands, 10.6% of respondents (compared with 11.1% in Israel) thought that an isolated cleft was a reason for terminations of pregnancy (TOP) (rate differences 0.6%, 95% confidence interval: -12% to 10.9%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prenatal care providers in The Netherlands and Israel do not differ in their opinions about the severity of oral cleft and the acceptability of TOP for an isolated oral cleft. This study shows that prenatal care providers' attitudes do therefore not explain the dramatic difference between these countries in the number of TOP for isolated oral cleft.
authors: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors: Wies
authors: W
authors: Maarse
authors: Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors: Chantal W B
authors: CW
authors: Boonacker
authors: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Oren
authors: O
authors: Lapid
authors: Department of Pediatric Psychology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors: Henriette F N
authors: HF
authors: Swanenburg De Veye
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
authors: Zeev
authors: Z
authors: Weiner
authors: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors: Moshe
authors: M
authors: Kon
authors: Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors: Johannes J M
authors: JJ
authors: van Delden
authors: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors: Aebele B
authors: AB
authors: Mink van der Molen
mesh_terms: D000025:Abortion, Eugenic; D000028:Abortion, Induced; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008880:Midwifery; D009426:Netherlands; D009774:Obstetrics; D011247:Pregnancy; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal