Parental Autonomy and Responsibility in the Context of Prenatal Diagnosis. Views and Attitudes of Belgian Healthcare Professionals and Families

Abstract

With the expansion of prenatal testing options, we have been challenged to refine our understanding of responsible parenthood. Some argue that parents have a moral obligation to inform themselves about the health status of their future child and select children with the best genetic prospects, while others believe that these steps far exceed parental duty. Much of the public and scholarly attention is directed to the social anxiety surrounding the limits of parental autonomy and the increasing tension between individual rights and community interests. In some instances, women who forego prenatal testing and bear children with certain genetic conditions are deemed irresponsible. There is further an emerging conflict between the policies that benefit individuals and their families and those that benefit the community. Research aimed at investigating these ideas and tendencies has been to date very scarce in Belgium. To gain insight into the views and attitudes regarding prenatal testing and parental autonomy, we conducted in-depth, semi-structured, face-to-face interviews (n = 41) with healthcare professionals involved in prenatal counselling. An online survey was completed by parents (n = 252) with recent experience in prenatal diagnosis.