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Psychological reactions related to fetal magnetic resonance imaging: a follow-up study

  • Katharina Leithner EMAIL logo , Daniela Prayer , Eva Porstner , Nestor D. Kapusta , Maria Stammler-Safar , Elisabeth Krampl-Bettelheim and Eva Hilger
Published/Copyright: December 3, 2012
Journal of Perinatal Medicine
From the journal Journal of Perinatal Medicine Volume 41 Issue 3

Abstract

Aims: To assess the women’s retrospective perception of fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods: Thirty-six women were investigated 1 year after fetal MRI. Data was acquired by telephone interviews and standardised rating scales (i.e., Postscan Imaging Distress Questionnaire, mood and anxiety scales).

Results: In retrospect, most women felt that fetal MRI was associated with marked psychological distress, notably with significant greater distress than at the time of the actual investigation. In total, 55.6% of the women rated at least one aspect of fetal MRI as “not tolerable” at follow-up. These findings were irrespective of the affective status and of the outcome of the pregnancy. Yet, MRI was rated as “the most important” investigation during the prenatal period by 69.4% of subjects, and 80.6% felt that they had sufficiently been informed about the MRI findings.

Conclusions: The acceptance of fetal MRI was found to be very high; however, fetal MRI is linked with marked psychological distress, which was still present – and in many cases even stronger – 1 year after the investigation. These data highlight the importance of sufficient information about fetal MRI and the necessity of adequate emotional support in this emotional vulnerable patient sample.

Keywords: Anxiety; fetal magnetic resonance imaging; follow-up; patient information; prenatal diagnosis; psychological experience
Corresponding author: Prof. Katharina Leithner, MD, Department of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria, Tel.: +43 01 40 400 3061, Fax: +43 01 40 668 03

The authors stated that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this article.

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Received: 2012-9-6
Accepted: 2012-11-5
Published Online: 2012-12-03
Published in Print: 2013-05-01

©2013 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin Boston

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https://doi.org/10.1515/jpm-2012-0218
Keywords for this article
Anxiety; fetal magnetic resonance imaging; follow-up; patient information; prenatal diagnosis; psychological experience

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Masthead
  2. Masthead
  3. Review
  4. The diagnosis of rupture of fetal membranes (ROM): a meta-analysis
  5. Original Articles – Obstetrics
  6. Differential proteolysis of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) in pregnancy
  7. Hyperoxic resuscitation after hypoxia-ischemia induces cerebral inflammation that is attenuated by tempol in a reporter mouse model with very young mice
  8. Prenatal maternal stress predicts cord-blood ferritin concentration
  9. Puerperal curettage after cesarean section delivery
  10. Psychological reactions related to fetal magnetic resonance imaging: a follow-up study
  11. Ethnic disparity in amniotic fluid levels of hyaluronan, histone H2B and superoxide dismutase in spontaneous preterm birth
  12. Mode of delivery in a subsequent pregnancy following previous instrumental delivery
  13. Original Articles – Fetus
  14. Pregnancy and neonatal outcome following an antenatal diagnosis of cleft lip and palate
  15. Genetic low nephron number hypertension is associated with altered expression of osteopontin and CD44 during nephrogenesis*
  16. Pharmacovigilance in pregnancy: adverse drug reactions associated with fetal disorders
  17. Expectant management in type II selective intrauterine growth restriction and abnormal chord insertion in monochorionic twins
  18. Can prenatal detection of Down syndrome be improved by enhancing obstetricians’ skills of performing adequate foetal cardiac examination at the primary level?a
  19. Original Articles – Newborn
  20. The national perinatal mortality rate in the State of Qatar during 2011; trends since 1990 and comparative analysis with selected high-income countries: The PEARL Study Project*
  21. Determinants of successful breastfeeding initiation in healthy term singletons: a Swiss university hospital observational study
  22. Congress Calendar
  23. Congress Calendar
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