Table 3.
Reasons for accepting (n = 1491) or declining (n = 271) fetal aneuploidy screening.
| Reasons for accepting screening | Responses (% of cases) | Reasons for declining screening | Responses (% of cases) |
|---|---|---|---|
| I want to be reassured that my child does not have Down, Edwards, or Patau syndrome | 380 (25.5%) | Every child is welcome; a child with Down, Edwards, or Patau syndrome as well | 83 (30.6%) |
| I want to have as much information as possible about the health of my baby | 340 (22.8%) | I would never terminate my pregnancy | 57 (21.0%) |
| I do not want to have a child with Edwards or Patau syndrome | 257 (17.2%) | I think I have a low risk of having a child with Down syndrome | 28 (10.3%) |
| I do not want to have a child with Down syndrome | 186 (12.5%) | I am afraid I will regret testing when faced with an abortion decision | 24 (8.9%) |
| I want to be able to prepare myself for the birth of a child with Down, Edwards, or Patau syndrome | 145 (9.7%) | I think the tests are too expensive | 17 (6.3%) |
| I am worried I will regret not testing later on | 80 (5.4%) | I do not want to know if my child has a disorder | 16 (5.9%) |
| My partner, family, or others want to test | 66 (4.4%) | Because of my religion or faith | 16 (5.9%) |
| Other | 19 (1.3%) | I am not worried about my child’s health | 14 (5.2%) |
| I think I have a high risk of having a child with Down syndrome | 15 (1.0%) | I think the tests are not reliablea | 7 (2.6%) |
| My midwife or doctor thinks it is a good idea | 3 (0.2%) | I do not want to unnecessarily worrya | 6 (2.2%) |
| Other | 3 (1.1%) | ||
| My partner, family or others do not want to test | 0 (0.0%) | ||
| My midwife or doctor thinks it is not a good idea | 0 (0.0%) |
aAdded reason based on other responses.