Mother's awareness and attitudes towards prenatal screening for Down syndrome in Muslim Moroccans

Abstract

Abortion is prohibited and penalized in Morocco. On the other hand, there is no strategy or consensus for prenatal screening for Down syndrome (DS) included into the Moroccan pregnancy monitoring national program. This study aims to explore the awareness and attitudes of women who have a child with DS regarding prenatal screening for DS. This is an observational study based on a knowledge, attitude, and practice survey. Fifty women who have a child with DS agreed to participate in this survey. Although nearly two-thirds of women had not heard of DS or knew what prenatal screening is prior to the birth of the affected child, the majority felt that screening for DS would be useful in the first (84%) or second (90%) trimester. In line with this, most responders would agree to undergo first trimester (84%) or second trimester (80%) screening in a future pregnancy. Most (94%) of the women felt that information on DS screening should be provided to all Moroccan women in early pregnancy and that a public health program for prenatal screening should be established (94%). Deficit in knowledge was detected in awareness that first trimester ultrasound may allow screening for DS. Women who have a child with DS have low awareness of existing screening tests for the condition but have a positive attitude towards them.