Psychological distress, dyadic adjustment and family dynamics after prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease

Introduction: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is one of the most frequent congenital diseases. When expectant fathers and mothers are informed of a CHD during pregnancy, they have to confront a series of individual and interpersonal psychological changes. The aim of the study was to evaluate the psychological impact of a prenatal diagnosis of CHD on expectant parents. The sample included 214 participants, mothers and their partners (case group, 57 pregnant women carrying a foetus with CHD and their partners; and control group, 50 pregnant women and their partners). Method: Administration of BSI-18, DAS and FACES-Ill following prenatal diagnosis. Results: Many parents (approximately 83.6%) went through stages of shock and denial in response to the diagnosis of disease that they had to confront and accept. At the individual level, 35.1% of fathers and 47.4% mothers had clinically significant scores of psychological distress. At the couple level, both fathers (77%) and mothers (82.4%) had expressed an idealized dyadic adjustment. Lastly, the perception of the family dynamic by 43.9% of fathers and 42.2% of mothers was in the mid-range. Conclusion: The results highlight the complexity of the initial stage that these couples were going through. (C) 2021 Asociacion Espanola de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the psychological impact of a prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD) on expectant parents. The results showed that many parents experienced stages of shock and denial in response to the disease diagnosis, and both individual and couple-level psychological distress and idealized dyadic adjustment were present.