title: Factors Affecting Improved Prenatal Screening: A Narrative Review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prenatal screening deals with the detection of structural and functional abnormalities in the fetus. Health care providers can minimize unintended pregnancy outcomes by providing proper counseling and performing prenatal screening. The purpose of the present review study is to investigate factors affecting improved prenatal screening.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study is a narrative review searching public databases such as Google Scholar and specialized databases such as Pubmed, Magiran, Scientific Information Database, Elsevier, Ovid and Science Direct as well. Using the keywords "prenatal screening", "fetus health" and "prenatal counseling", 70 relevant articles published from 1994 to 2014 were selected. After reviewing the abstracts, the full data from 26 articles were ultimately used for writing the present review study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three general themes emerged from reviewing the studies: health care providers' skills, clients' characteristics and ethical considerations, which were the main factors affecting improved prenatal screening.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prenatal screening can be successful if performed by a trained and experienced expert through techniques suitable for the mother's age. Also simultaneously providing proper counseling and giving a full description of the risks and benefits of the procedures for clients is recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of reproductive health and Midwifery, Nasibeh Nursing and Midwifery faculty, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran Traditional and Complementary Medicine Research Centre, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran. zshahhosseini@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Zohreh
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shahhosseini
authors.forename: Hoda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arabi
authors.forename: Azam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salehi
authors.forename: Zeinab
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hamzehgardeshi
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008423:Maternal Age; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000592:standards*; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000592:standards*; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors