Use of prenatal diagnosis among parents of infants with spina bifida in Atlanta, Georgia, 1976-1979.

A follow-up was made of the parents of a population-based cohort of 154 infants with spina bifida who were born in Atlanta during 1972-1979. We interviewed the parents of these infants and, for pregnancies after the spina bifida-affected birth, the ratio of use of prenatal diagnosis and the rate of recurrence of spina bifida were ascertained. Among 43 pregnancies which occurred in 1976 or later, and which occurred after a spina bifida-affected birth, prenatal diagnosis was used for 27 pregnancies (63%). For whites, among full siblings born after a spina bifida-affected birth, the recurrence rate for spina bifida was 2% (1/51). For blacks, among seven full siblings born after a spina bifida-affected birth, none was affected. Prenatal diagnosis appears to be well accepted among these parents of infants with spina bifida.