Interview 06- Ending a pregnancy for fetal abnormality

Age at interview: 29

Brief Outline:

Their 2nd pregnancy - 20-week scan showed baby seemed small for his date. Further specialist scans at 28 and 32 weeks showed baby's head was small. Mother also had amniocentesis and MRI scan. Baby diagnosed with microcephaly. Pregnancy ended at 34 weeks by feticide and induction.

Background:

Pregnancy ended in 2003. No of children - 1 + [1]. Age of other child at interview - 4. Occupations - Mother - mother and housewife, Father - policeman. Marital status - married. Ethnic background - White British.

For more clips from this interview click here.

Parents considered the effect that having a sibling with microcephaly would have on their two year old daughter when they decided to end the pregnancy.

Mother - For me it was when the neurologist said that this baby will have no quality of life, and it will not know that it exists.

Father - It was the last time we went for an appointment, wasn't it?

 

Mother - It won't know that it's existing, and I just thought then - and we talked about it.

 

Father - She used the phrase, "even if the baby survives".

 

Mother - And I wouldn't want to put a child of mine through the suffering of dying. And we have a daughter, and at the time, two and a half, could you cope with a dying baby, and a two and a half year old? Is it fair to her? Is it fair to us?

 

Father - Well, they said it might not survive the labour, or even as long as that, anyway.

 

Mother - I'd have hated to have seen any child of mine go through any pain.