[Maternal anxiety induced by prenatal diagnostic techniques: detection and management]

Abstract

Recent improvement in the screening for chromosomal defects, in particular the widespread use of ultrasonography and maternal biochemistry, is leading to a high number of fetal invasive tests (amniocentesis or chorion villus sampling). An increased level of anxiety in the pregnant women, which may sometimes continue until the postnatal period, is believed to be due to these prenatal diagnosis procedures. Maternal anxiety originates in the doubts related to fetal integrity and pregnancy outcome after information of a positive biochemical screening or visualisation of an ultrasound marker of chromosomal abnormality. Each specialist involved in prenatal care should take special attention to this, because of at least two reasons. First, anxiety may reduce maternal well being during pregnancy. Second, because it could have deleterious effects on parent to infant relationships. Without any intention of lowering the positive aspects of prenatal diagnosis, it appears essential to consider the negative effects anxiety may have on both parents. From our own experience and the conclusion of previous reported studies, we suggest some measures to reduce the level of maternal anxiety related to prenatal diagnosis: (i) improvement in the quality and transparency of information offered to pregnant women; (ii) training and involvement in psychological and emotional care for each member in the medical team; (iii) special and systematic psychological care for the "high risk" pregnant women regarding anxious disorders.