Parental experiences of prenatal education when preparing for labor and birth of infant with a lethal diagnosis.
Urszula Tataj-Puzyna, Barbara Baranowska, Beata Szlendak and 2 others
PMID 37391910WHAT IT FOUND
Parents preparing for birth of a baby with a lethal fetal diagnosis chose different prenatal education paths: conventional classes for normality, condition-specific classes for community, and individual midwife sessions for private practical preparation.
Birth planning was described as a way to articulate expectations.
Key findings
01Parents who attended conventional prenatal classes sought normality, often did not disclose the lethal diagnosis, and valued practical labour information.
02Parents who attended classes for life-limiting fetal conditions valued community with similarly affected parents and used specialist input to create birth plans.
03Parents who chose individual midwife preparation wanted private, practical information and felt safer discussing the baby's likely death.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study interviewed parents who chose to continue the pregnancy and were willing to share their experiences, so it may not reflect parents who terminated, did not prepare, or declined interviews. Participants were recruited from hospital units in Poland, and prenatal class availability differed, so the findings may not transfer to other health systems. Some researchers were midwives and had taught the life-limiting-condition classes, which may have influenced what participants said or how they were analysed. The study describes experiences and preferences, not measured birth, bereavement, or care outcomes.
Declared interests
The study was supported by the Department of Midwifery at the Medical University of Warsaw. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that any prenatal class format or birth plan improves labour, neonatal, or bereavement outcomes. It is an interview study of parents' experiences, and different families wanted different preparation.