Impact of early diagnosis and noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT): Knowledge, attitudes, and experiences of parents of children with sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCAs).

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the attitudes of parents of children with a sex chromosome aneuploidy (SCA) regarding the impact of an early diagnosis and noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT).

METHOD

A survey consisting of multiple choice and long response formatted questions was completed by parents of children with SCA(s).

RESULTS

Fifty-five participants responded to the survey. A total of 88.1% of participants who received an early diagnosis expressed that it had a positive impact on their child's life. Of the 23 participants who utilized NIPT, 95.7% believed it was a decisive factor in their life because they could research the disorders prior to the birth of their child (35.3%), pinpoint valuable resources and interventions (38.2%), and determine possible risk factors of neurodevelopmental delays to be considered after delivery (20.6%).

CONCLUSION

This study documented parental perspectives on the impact of an early SCA diagnosis and attitudes towards NIPT use for identifying those at risk for SCAs. These informative and insightful results provide personal experiences that health care providers may want to consider when providing prenatal counseling on NIPT for expectant mothers. As this analysis is the first of its kind, ascertainment is limited, and future research should aim to expand these findings by investigating the different factors influencing attitudes towards NIPT.