Counselling and education for prenatal screening and diagnostic tests for pregnant women: Randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of education and counselling on prenatal screening and diagnostic tests on pregnant women's decisional conflict, anxiety levels and attitudes towards the tests. Background: Clinical practice guidelines recommend prenatal genetic counselling for pregnant women before participation in the tests. Methods: A total of 210 pregnant women participated in the study by completing the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory-I, Decisional Conflict Scale, SURE Scale, Knowledge Assessment Forms, Decision Satisfaction Form and Attitudes Scale between June 2017 and March 2018. In the first stage, pregnant women were evaluated who had only prenatal genetic screening tests and in the second stage, pregnant women who had been recommended to receive diagnostic tests. The intervention group received face-to-face individual education and counselling about prenatal genetic tests. Independent samples t test, t tests and Pearson correlation tests were used. Results: Education and counselling for prenatal screening tests and diagnostic tests from the first weeks of pregnancy were effective in decreasing anxiety, decisional conflict, increasing attitudes towards tests and had positive effects on pregnant women's knowledge level and decision satisfaction (P < 0.005). Conclusion: Prenatal genetic counselling and education are more effective if provided from the first weeks of pregnancy. Decreasing anxiety, decisional conflict and increasing knowledge levels of pregnant women are important to make informed decisions.