OP38.01: A novel, simple technique for the diagnosis of micrognathia in the first‐trimester: identification of the receding chin on the retronasal triangle (RNT) view

Abstract

of the fetal anomaly, and prognostic ambiguity concerning diagnosis or prognosis. The aim of this study is to describe paternal psychological response shortly after detection of fetal anomaly and to compare paternal vs. maternal response within the same couple. Methods: A prospective, observational study was performed at a tertiary referral center for fetal medicine. Pregnant women (n = 155) in second and third trimester and their partner were included within a week following sonographic detection of a fetal structural anomaly. Psychological distress was assessed using the Impact of Event Scale (IES-22), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the anxiety and depression subscales of the GHQ-28. Social dysfunction and health perception were measured by the corresponding subscales of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). Fetal anomalies were classified according to severity and diagnostic or prognostic ambiguity at the time of assessment. Results: Median GA was 21.5 weeks, range 12–38. There were significant correlations (P < 0.001) between maternal and paternal psychological response on all measurements. Males had significantly lower scores than females on all psychometric endpoints (P < 0.01) performing related-samples Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test. In a two-way ANOVA, GA did not influence the paternal level of psychological distress in any of the psychometric scales. The severity of fetal anomaly influenced the level of IES intrusion, IES arousal, and EPDS depression (P < 0.004). The least severe anomalies with no diagnostic or prognostic ambiguity induced the lowest levels of IES intrusive distress. Conclusions: Males had lower scores on all psychometric scales than females. Severity of anomaly significantly influenced the paternal response, whereas GA at assessment did not.