Watson Melanie S, Hall Sue, Langford Kate, Marteau Theresa M
Psychology and Genetics Research Group, Kings College London, 5th Floor, Thomas Guy House, Guy's Campus, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
Prenat Diagn. 2002 Jul;22(7):569-75. doi: 10.1002/pd.373.
To determine the impact on maternal anxiety of detecting a soft marker, and the association between anxiety and the information given during the scan.
Routine 20-week fetal anomaly scans were audiotaped in the obstetric ultrasound unit of a London teaching hospital, across a four month study period. The study sample comprised 28 pregnant women: 14 in whom a soft marker was detected and a comparison group of 14 women in whom no marker was identified. Telephone interviews were conducted within one week of the scan, at 30 weeks' gestation, and one month after the birth of their children. The main outcome was anxiety, assessed using a standardized scale. Information provided during the scan was coded from transcripts.
In the week following the scan, women with soft markers had clinically significant levels of anxiety. At 30 weeks' gestation and one month post-partum their levels were within the normal range. Women who were told during their scan that their baby would probably be all right, compared with women not told this, were significantly less anxious and worried about their baby.
Results from this small longitudinal study suggest that the detection of soft markers on routine prenatal ultrasound causes considerable short-term anxiety for women and that providing reassurance during the scan may prevent some of this anxiety.
确定检测到软指标对孕妇焦虑的影响，以及焦虑与超声检查期间所提供信息之间的关联。
在伦敦一家教学医院的产科超声科，对为期四个月的研究期间内进行的常规20周胎儿畸形扫描进行录音。研究样本包括28名孕妇：14名检测到软指标的孕妇以及14名未检测到软指标的孕妇组成的对照组。在扫描后一周内、妊娠30周时以及孩子出生后一个月进行电话访谈。主要结局指标为焦虑，采用标准化量表进行评估。扫描期间提供的信息根据文字记录进行编码。
在扫描后的一周内，检测到软指标的女性出现了具有临床意义的焦虑水平。在妊娠30周和产后一个月，她们的焦虑水平处于正常范围内。与未被告知胎儿可能正常的女性相比，在扫描期间被告知胎儿可能正常的女性对胎儿的焦虑和担忧明显更少。
这项小型纵向研究的结果表明，在常规产前超声检查中检测到软指标会给女性带来相当大的短期焦虑，并且在扫描期间给予安慰可能会减轻部分此类焦虑。
