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Table 1 Characteristics for men and women in groups with and without fetal anomaly, shortly after detection of fetal anomaly or normal ultrasound scan

From: Paternal psychological response after ultrasonographic detection of structural fetal anomalies with a comparison to maternal response: a cohort study

 

Fetal anomaly (n = 155)

No fetal anomaly (n = 100)

With and without fetal anomaly (n = 255)

       

Men versus men

Women versus women

 

Men

Women

P-value

Men

Women

P-value

P-value*

P-value*

 

N (%)

N (%)

 

N (%)

N (%)

   

Age

        

19–30 years

55 (35.5)

74 (47.7)

P < 0.001

24 (24.0)

46 (46.0)

P < 0.001

P = 0.121

P = 0.372

31–35 years

53 (34.2)

60 (38.7)

 

44 (44.0)

34 (34.0)

   

36–67 years

46 (29.7)

21 (13.5)

 

32 (32.0)

20 (20.0)

   

Missing data

1 (0.6)

       

Education

      

Men and women < junior college

46 (29.7)

P < 0.001

10 (10.0)

P < 0.001

P < 0.001

P = 0.003

Men < junior college, women ≥ junior college

35 (22.6)

 

8 (8.0)

   

Men ≥ junior college, women < junior college

9 (5.8)

 

8 (8.0)

   

Men and women ≥ junior college

62 (40.0)

 

72 (72.0)

   

Missing data

3 (1.9)

 

2 (2.0)

   

Previous children

      

Men and women no previous children

63 (40.6)

P < 0.001

55 (55.0)

P < 0.001

P = 0.213

P = 0.067

Men previous children, women no previous children

9 (5.8)

 

3 (3.0)

   

Men no previous children, women previous children

10 (6.5)

 

1 (1.0)

   

Men and women previous children

71 (45.8)

 

40 (40.0)

   

Missing data

2 (1.3)

 

1 (1.0)

   

Married or cohabiting

150 (96.8)

n. a.

100 (100.0)

n. a.

P = 0.259

P = 0.259

Not cohabiting

5 (3.2)

     

Gestational age at assessment

     

<18 weeks

34 (21.9)

 

15 (15.0)

 

P < 0.001

18–22 weeks

81 (52.3)

n. a.

84 (84.0)

n. a.

 

>22 weeks

40 (25.8)

 

1 (1.0) ***

  

Time interval from suspicion of fetal anomaly (normal scan in comp. group) to assessment

     

0–2 days

75 (48.4)

n. a.

15 (15.0)

n. a.

P < 0.001

3–6 days

52 (33.5)

 

53 (53.0)

  

≥7 days

28 (18.1)

 

32 (32.0)

  

Classification of severity**

  

1

41 (26.5)

 

2

39 (25.2)

n. a.

3

20 (12.9)

 

4

22 (14.2)

 

5

33 (21.3)

 
  1. * P-values are also presented for the differences for each sex between the two groups (Chi-Square – tests).
  2. ** Classification of severity of anomaly.
  3. 1: Lethal or serious with no available treatment, with or without prognostic ambiguity (e.g., acrania, skeletal dysplasia with small thorax, holoprosencephaly).
  4. 2: Serious with available treatment but all with prognostic ambiguity (e.g. myelomeningocele with hydrocephalus, hypoplastic left heart syndrome). 3: Mild to moderate severity with available treatment, often with good result, but all with prognostic ambiguity (e.g. bilateral clubfoot or cleft lip with no other markers, but condition known to be associated with syndromes not apparent prenatally). 4: Mild to moderate severity with available treatment, often with good result, without prognostic ambiguity (e.g. gastroschisis, unilateral clubfoot). 5: Severity not classified; awaiting clarification, all with prognostic or diagnostic ambiguity. Prognosis highly dependent on the results of an invasive test (e.g. omphalocele, bilateral clubfoot with chromosomal soft markers), or a reliable diagnosis was not available at inclusion due to an incomplete ultrasound examination (e.g. maternal obesity).
  5. *** In the group without fetal anomaly this case has been moved to the 18–22 weeks group due to statistical purposes. This case was included in the study at week 22 + 1 day of gestation.