Prenatal diagnosis is more common than you may guess.
One in 22 babies has a ‘major congenital anomaly’, a difference in their genetics, health or development that is associated with significant medical care, disability, or early death. Many of whom are diagnosed during pregnancy. This statistic doesn’t routinely include babies lost before 20 weeks gestation or those with what medical teams consider ‘minor’ anomalies and differences.
For expectant parents, news that their unborn baby has an anomaly can cause distress. This news and the time that follows, can be traumatic.
For many, the initial news of a possible fetal anomaly is only the start of the journey through the unexpected.