Similar prognosis, different decisions: understanding parents about the possibility of termination of pregnancy due to fetal anomalies.

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the factors that influence families' decision-making processes about whether to carry a pregnancy to term or to terminate it in cases of fetal anomalies. A questionnaire was administered to 25 participants who chose to terminate their pregnancy and 25 participants who chose to carry their pregnancy to term. Among the sociodemographic characteristics investigated, only monthly income significantly differed between the groups (p = .044), being higher in the termination group. The participants in the non-termination group decided to proceed in a shorter time (p = .014). The majority of the participants in this group made this decision for religious reasons (56 percent), while in the other group, the decision was mostly based on baby-centered or parent-centered factors (48 percent and 52 percent, respectively) (p < .001). In the non-termination group, there was a significantly higher number of participants who expressed that their religious beliefs played an influential role in their decision (p = .002). In contrast, in the termination group, higher number of participants indicated that the information provided by their doctor was very effective in shaping their decisions (p < .001). According to the results of our study, social, cultural, and religious reasons seem to be the most important factors affecting participants' decisions related to pregnancy termination.