Prenatal Psychosocial Distress Screening for Individuals Experiencing Pregnancies Complicated by Fetal Anomalies

Abstract

Pregnant individuals who receive a fetal anomaly diagnosis experience significantly elevated rates of depression, anxiety, and traumatic stress-up to four to six times higher than those for individuals with low-risk pregnancies. In low-risk pregnancies, perinatal mental health conditions are the leading cause of maternal mortality and are associated with adverse birth outcomes, including preterm birth and low birth weight. These risks are likely compounded in pregnancies involving fetal anomalies due to the intersecting psychological and social burdens that complicate maternal well-being and access to care. However, there is a critical gap in understanding how these mental health symptoms translate into diagnoses, treatments, and outcomes due to the absence of a validated screening tool tailored to this population's unique psychosocial needs. This perspective article reviews evidence, highlights the urgent need for specialized screening, and introduces ongoing research aimed at developing and validating an instrument that integrates both mental health symptoms and broader psychosocial distress. By bridging this gap, structured psychosocial screening has the potential to improve care coordination, facilitate earlier intervention, and mitigate long-term distress for individuals navigating pregnancies affected by fetal anomalies.

Keywords: fetal anomaly; fetal care; fetal care center; fetal condition; mental health pregnancy; perinatal mental health; psychosocial fetal care.