Palliative care for prenatally diagnosed lethal fetal abnormality

Abstract:
Diagnosis of lethal fetal abnormality raises challenging decisions for parents and clinicians. Most parents opt for termination, which may include feticide. Advances in imaging seem unlikely to lead to earlier diagnoses. Perinatal palliative care offers an alternative. Parental decision making and the clinical aspects of perinatal palliative care were studied after a prenatal diagnosis of lethal fetal abnormality in 20 pregnancies.
40% of parents chose to continue the pregnancy and pursue perinatal palliative care. Six of these eight babies were liveborn and lived for between 1,5 h and 3 weeks.

Extract:
"In our experience, those parents who chose this model of care gave positive feedback about their decision and the care provided."

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Journal Reference:
A C G Breeze et al. Palliative care for prenatally diagnosed lethal fetal abnormality. Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2007;92;56-58; originally published online 16 May 2006;
doi:10.1136/adc.2005.092122