A meta-synthesis of pregnant women's decision-making processes with regard to antenatal screening for Down syndrome.

摘要: The diffusion of antenatal screening programmes for Down syndrome has triggered much discussion about their powerful potential to enhance pregnant women's autonomy and reproductive choices. Simultaneously, considerable debate been engendered by concerns that such may directly contribute the emergence new complex ethical, legal social dilemmas women. Given debate, an examination decision-making within context is timely. This paper aims undertake a meta-synthesis qualitative studies examining factors influencing decisions accept or decline syndrome. create more comprehensive understandings develop theory which might enable midwives other healthcare professionals better meet needs women as they make decisions. Ten electronic health science databases were searched together with hand-search eleven journals papers published in English between 1999 2008, using predefined search terms, inclusion exclusion criteria, quality appraisal framework. Nine met criteria this meta-synthesis, providing international perspective on decision-making. Twelve themes identified consensus combined into five core concepts. These concepts were: destination unknown; choose not choose; risk rarely pure never simple; treading dreams, betwixt between. A conceptual framework proposed incorporates these concepts, provides insight processes regard However, further research necessary determine whether development model empower making choices screening.