{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,17]],"date-time":"2026-07-17T13:56:36Z","timestamp":1784296596451,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,10]],"date-time":"2021-03-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1615334400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100007797","name":"Helsingin Yliopisto","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100007797","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\"><jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title><jats:p>To study women\u2019s apprehensions, understanding and experiences of counselling concerning a screen-positive result in screening for fetal chromosomal defects.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec id=\"sec002\"><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>A questionnaire study including different steps of the prenatal screening process was carried out in Helsinki University Hospital. Women\u2019s experiences concerning counselling immediately after a screen-positive result and during further examinations in the Fetal Medicine Unit (FMU) were analyzed.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec id=\"sec003\"><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>143 women filled in the questionnaire. Less than half of the women considered the primary counselling after a screen-positive result to be explicit (43.9%) and sufficient (43.1%). In the FMU, 88.3% and 89.8% of women were satisfied with the explicitness and sufficiency of counselling. Most women (75%) experienced worry before further examinations but less than half (45%) had considered their personal values concerning diagnostic tests. Half (50.5%) of women expected the worry to continue even if diagnostic tests turn out normal. Most (81%) women were aware that diagnostic tests are voluntary and were confident (85.3%) with their decision to participate.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec id=\"sec004\"><jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title><jats:p>After a screen-positive result, women have unanswered questions, experience anxiety and confusion. The possibility of an abnormal screening result is not seriously considered beforehand. To enable an informed consent for prenatal screening, improvements in prescreening counselling during the first visits of antenatal care need to be made.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0247164","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,10]],"date-time":"2021-03-10T18:24:29Z","timestamp":1615400669000},"page":"e0247164","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["Women\u2019s experiences of counselling in cases of a screen-positive prenatal screening result"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0729-2734","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Leena","family":"Vuorenlehto","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kaisa","family":"Hinnel\u00e4","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Outi","family":"\u00c4yr\u00e4s","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Veli-Matti","family":"Ulander","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Pekka","family":"Louhiala","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marja","family":"Kaijomaa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0247164.ref001","unstructured":"Health Care Act 339\/2011 (Finland). Valtioneuvoston asetus seulonnoista. Available from: http:\/\/www.finlex.fi\/fi\/laki\/alkup\/2011\/20110339. Accessed 7\/9, 2018."},{"key":"pone.0247164.ref002","unstructured":"Kaijomaa M. Prenatal screening of aneuploidies and adverse pregnancy outcome: The significance of second trimester soft markers and low first trimester PAPP-A. 1st ed. Helsinki. Unigrafia 2017."},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0247164.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"99","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1369-6513.2001.00140.x","article-title":"A measure of informed choice","volume":"4","author":"TM Marteau","year":"2001","journal-title":"Health Expectations: An International Journal of Public Participation in Health Care and Health Policy"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0247164.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"618","DOI":"10.1002\/uog.5331","article-title":"Screening for trisomy 21 by maternal age, fetal nuchal translucency thickness, free beta-human chorionic gonadotropin and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A","volume":"31","author":"KO Kagan","year":"2008","journal-title":"Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0247164.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"221","DOI":"10.1002\/uog.1860","article-title":"Multicenter study of first-trimester screening for trisomy 21 in 75 821 pregnancies: results and estimation of the potential impact of individual risk-orientated two-stage first-trimester screening","volume":"25","author":"KH Nicolaides","year":"2005","journal-title":"Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol"},{"key":"pone.0247164.ref006","unstructured":"Laki raskauden keskeytt\u00e4misest\u00e4 24.3.1970\/239. Available from: http:\/\/www.finlex.fi\/fi\/laki\/ajantasa\/1970\/19700239. Accessed 07\/09, 2018."},{"key":"pone.0247164.ref007","unstructured":"Uitto S. Mothers\u2019 and Fathers\u2019 Experiences of Foetal Screening and Counselling. M.Sc. Thesis. University of Tampere. 2007."},{"key":"pone.0247164.ref008","article-title":"The impact of non-invasive prenatal testing on anxiety in women considered at high or low risk for aneuploidy after combined first trimester screening","author":"Z Richmond","year":"2017","journal-title":"Prenat Diagn"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0247164.ref009","first-page":"321-016","article-title":"Coping with worry while waiting for diagnostic results: a qualitative study of the experiences of pregnant couples following a high-risk prenatal screening result","volume":"16","author":"S Lou","year":"2016","journal-title":"BMC Pregnancy Childbirth"},{"issue":"9","key":"pone.0247164.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"705","DOI":"10.1002\/1097-0223(200009)20:9<705::AID-PD904>3.0.CO;2-C","article-title":"How women deal with the results of serum screening for Down syndrome in the second trimester of pregnancy","volume":"20","author":"MJ Weinans","year":"2000","journal-title":"Prenat Diagn"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0247164.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1348","DOI":"10.1007\/s10897-017-0118-3","article-title":"Women\u2019s Experience with Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing and Emotional Well-being and Satisfaction after Test-Results","volume":"26","author":"RV van Schendel","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Genet Couns"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0247164.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"400","DOI":"10.1203\/01.PDR.0000136281.34035.44","article-title":"Stress during pregnancy affects general intellectual and language functioning in human toddlers","volume":"56","author":"DP Laplante","year":"2004","journal-title":"Pediatr Res"},{"key":"pone.0247164.ref013","article-title":"Patients\u2019 Knowledge of Prenatal Screening for Trisomy 21","author":"M Sheinis","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Genet Couns"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0247164.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"265","DOI":"10.1023\/A:1016378415514","article-title":"Women\u2019s knowledge of prenatal ultrasound and informed choice","volume":"11","author":"RJ Kohut","year":"2002","journal-title":"J Genet Couns"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0247164.ref015","first-page":"15","article-title":"Does screening for Down\u2019s syndrome cause anxiety in pregnant women? A systematic review","volume":"94","author":"L Stina","year":"2014","journal-title":"Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0247164.ref016","first-page":"14","article-title":"I want a choice, but I don\u2019t want to decide\u2019\u2014A qualitative study of pregnant women\u2019s experiences regarding early ultrasound risk assessment for chromosomal anomalies","volume":"28","author":"I Aune","year":"2012","journal-title":"Midwifery 2012 February"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0247164.ref017","first-page":"335","article-title":"A qualitative study of mothers\u2019 and fathers\u2019 experiences of routine ultrasound examination in Sweden","volume":"20","author":"M Ekelin","year":"2004","journal-title":"Midwifery 2004"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0247164.ref018","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"721","DOI":"10.7863\/jum.2006.25.6.721","article-title":"Women\u2019s Responses to Ultrasound Examinations During Routine Screens in an Obstetric Clinic","volume":"25","author":"CFZ Boukydis","year":"2006","journal-title":"Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0247164.ref019","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2648.2006.03884.x","article-title":"Fetal anomaly screening: what do women want to know?","volume":"55","author":"J Lalor","year":"2006","journal-title":"J Adv Nurs"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0247164.ref020","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"153","DOI":"10.1002\/(SICI)1097-0223(199802)18:2<153::AID-PD240>3.0.CO;2-Z","article-title":"On what grounds do women participate in prenatal screening?","volume":"18","author":"P Santalahti","year":"1998","journal-title":"Prenat Diagn"},{"key":"pone.0247164.ref021","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"65-016","DOI":"10.1186\/s12884-016-0856-5","article-title":"Internet use by pregnant women seeking pregnancy-related information: a systematic review","volume":"16","author":"P Sayakhot","year":"2016","journal-title":"BMC Pregnancy Childbirth"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0247164.ref022","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"245","DOI":"10.1093\/abm\/15.4.245","article-title":"Benefits of psychological preparation for surgery: A meta-analysis","volume":"15","author":"M Johnston","year":"1993","journal-title":"Annals of Behavioral Medicine"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0247164.ref023","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"152","DOI":"10.1002\/uog.8856","article-title":"Knowledge of prenatal screening and psychological management of test decisions","volume":"38","author":"K Dahl","year":"2011","journal-title":"Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0247164.ref024","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"265","DOI":"10.1002\/pd.851","article-title":"Applying decision analysis to facilitate informed decision making about prenatal diagnosis for Down syndrome: a randomised controlled trial","volume":"24","author":"HL Bekker","year":"2004","journal-title":"Prenat Diagn"},{"key":"pone.0247164.ref025","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"119","DOI":"10.1186\/s12884-018-1752-y","article-title":"Facilitating autonomous, confident and satisfying choices: a mixed-method study of women\u2019s choice-making in prenatal screening for common aneuploidies","volume":"18","author":"A Chen","year":"2018","journal-title":"BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth"},{"issue":"4935","key":"pone.0247164.ref026","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1232","DOI":"10.1126\/science.2686031","article-title":"Optimistic biases about personal risks","volume":"246","author":"ND Weinstein","year":"1989","journal-title":"Science"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0247164.ref027","first-page":"215","article-title":"Risk of miscarriage following amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling: a systematic review of the literature","volume":"70","author":"J Beta","year":"2018","journal-title":"Minerva Ginecol"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0247164.ref028","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"85","DOI":"10.1016\/j.srhc.2010.05.002","article-title":"Effect of first-trimester ultrasound screening for Down syndrome on maternal\u2013fetal attachment\u2013A randomized controlled trial","volume":"1","author":"S Georgsson \u00d6hman","year":"2010","journal-title":"Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare 2010"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0247164.ref029","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"295","DOI":"10.3109\/14767058.2011.574299","article-title":"Stress and anxiety in pregnant women exposed to ultrasound","volume":"25","author":"EC Da Silva","year":"2012","journal-title":"J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med"},{"key":"pone.0247164.ref030","volume-title":"Preventing Intellectual Disability: Ethical Issues","author":"P Louhiala","year":"2004","edition":"1"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0247164.ref031","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"762","DOI":"10.1097\/01.psy.0000138284.70670.d5","article-title":"Maternal Prenatal Anxiety and Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone Associated With Timing of Delivery","volume":"66","author":"RA Mancuso","year":"2004","journal-title":"Psychosom Med"},{"issue":"1\u20132","key":"pone.0247164.ref032","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1016\/S0378-3782(02)00075-0","article-title":"Prenatal maternal stress: effects on pregnancy and the (unborn) child","volume":"70","author":"EJ Mulder","year":"2002","journal-title":"Early Hum Dev"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0247164.ref033","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"55","DOI":"10.1002\/uog.13460","article-title":"Non-invasive prenatal testing for fetal aneuploidies in the first trimester of pregnancy","volume":"45","author":"Y Song","year":"2015","journal-title":"Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0247164.ref034","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"530","DOI":"10.1002\/uog.14792","article-title":"Non-invasive prenatal testing for trisomies 21, 18 and 13: clinical experience from 146,958 pregnancies","volume":"45","author":"H Zhang","year":"2015","journal-title":"Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol"},{"issue":"1\u20132","key":"pone.0247164.ref035","first-page":"31","article-title":"Six consecutive false positive cases from cell-free fetal DNA testing in a single referring centre","volume":"8","author":"N Dugo","year":"2014","journal-title":"Journal of Prenatal Medicine"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0247164.ref036","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e391","DOI":"10.1055\/s-0036-1594243","article-title":"Patient Perception of Negative Noninvasive Prenatal Testing Results","volume":"6","author":"AT Wittman","year":"2016","journal-title":"AJP Rep"}],"container-title":["PLOS ONE"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0247164","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,25]],"date-time":"2024-08-25T19:51:28Z","timestamp":1724615488000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0247164"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Giuseppe","family":"Novelli","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,10]]},"references-count":36,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,10]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0247164","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,10]]}}}