Poor Prenatal Diagnosis.
What’s next after receiving heartbreaking results?
It is important to fully understand a medical procedure before you consent to having it performed. Below, we outline the different types of procedures available to you, depending on the stage of your pregnancy.
Receiving a difficult prenatal diagnosis can feel overwhelming, shocking, and deeply unfair. Whether it’s a suspected genetic condition, structural abnormality, or a life-limiting diagnosis, it’s normal to experience a range of emotions. Feelings of grief, fear, anger, confusion, numbness, and even guilt are all normal responses. If you’ve received difficult news, our team is available to help you explore your options and connect you with appropriate medical and community resources.
You do not have to make a decision immediately. It is okay to take time, get a second opinion, or meet with specialists. Many families find it helpful to speak with a maternal-fetal medicine specialist or a perinatal palliative care team. During these visits, the specialist will review your test results, explain their meaning, discuss possible next steps, and answer your questions. They may order additional tests or connect you with genetic counsellors or other experts to help clarify your baby's condition. These discussions are meant to provide clear information, support your decision-making, and help you feel more prepared.
If you have only received a screening test, note that screening tests estimate the chance that a condition might be present. They flag an increased risk, but they do not determine with certainty whether a condition actually exists. Diagnostic tests, on the other hand, are used to confirm the presence of a condition.[1]
Because diagnostic tests are more accurate, doctors rely on them to make medical decisions. Still, even diagnostic testing is not perfect. No medical test can guarantee absolute accuracy in every case, which is why seeking a second opinion before taking further action can be helpful.
Noninvasive prenatal screening (NIPS) is often described as highly accurate, but false positives occur more often than many people realize, especially in women who are considered low risk, such as those under age 35. According to a study published in 1991, the overall positive predictive value for Down syndrome screening was just 2.2 percent, meaning the vast majority of positive results were actually false positives.[3]
For rarer conditions, the chance of a false positive can be even higher. For that reason, experts strongly recommend confirming any positive NIPS result with diagnostic testing before making irreversible medical decisions.[4]
Here are some of the most common prenatal diagnoses:[5]
Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome)
Congenital Heart Defects
Atrial septal defect
Ventricular septal defect
Patent ductus arteriosus
Pulmonary stenosis
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome
DiGeorge syndrome
Cleft Lip/Palate
Spina Bifida
Brain Anomalies
Hydrocephalus
Arachnoid cysts
Chiari 1 malformations
Craniosynostosis
Encephaloceles
Syringomyelia
Limb Differences
Cystic Fibrosis
Trisomy 18
Trisomy 13
It is important to carefully consider all of your options before making a decision. Contact our team for a thorough explanation of abortion procedures and to discuss alternatives such as perinatal hospice and palliative care.
[1]Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2026, January 23). Common tests during pregnancy.https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/common-tests-during-pregnancy
[2]New York Times. (2022, January 1). When they warn of rare disorders, these prenatal tests are usually wrong.https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/01/upshot/pregnancy-birth-genetic-testing.html
[3]New York Times. When they warn of rare disorders, these prenatal tests are usually wrong.
[4]U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). FDA warns about risks associated with non-invasive prenatal screening tests. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-warns-risks-associated-non-invasive-prenatal-screening-tests
[5]PrenatalDiagnosis.org. Lee, T. S. (n.d.). Understanding test results. Retrieved February 17, 2026, fromhttps://prenataldiagnosis.org/diagnosis/understanding-test-results
[6]"Silent Grief: A Qualitative Study on the Emotional and Social Impact of Early Gestational Loss." Midwifery (2026). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2026.104820 Accessed April 28, 2026
