"It was God's will": Continuing pregnancy after perinatal infection by Zika virus.
Celmira Laza-Vásquez, Keila Vanessa Cortés-Martínez, Juan Pablo Cano-Rivillas
PMID 32876288WHAT IT FOUND
Women who were told their babies might have Zika-related microcephaly continued pregnancy because they saw it as God's will or miracle.
They rejected abortion, sought more opinions, and felt pressured by clinicians' blunt warnings.
Key findings
01Three themes described the decision: shock and guilt, clinging to a hoped-for miracle, and accepting the pregnancy as God's will.
02Faith made abortion unacceptable for the women, because they believed only God could end a pregnancy.
03Repeated clinical warnings and abortion suggestions made women feel pressured and questioned.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study included only 21 women from one support group and Zika children association in one Colombian region. It did not include partners, health professionals, or women who chose to end the pregnancy, so it cannot describe all decision paths. The findings are qualitative themes and do not test any intervention, outcome, or cause. The results are circumscribed to this context and may not transfer to settings with different laws, religions, and support groups.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as evidence that continuing pregnancy or religious coping improves outcomes. This is a small qualitative study of women already in a support group, and it does not measure health outcomes or test care.