Antenatal testing for fetal abnormalities allows parents and their health care team to plan appropriately for the pregnancy, birth and beyond, or consider the option of termination. While some abnormalities can be treated in utero or after birth, many cannot, and each year in England and Wales at least 2500 terminations for fetal abnormality take place (Department of Health (DH), 2012). About a third of these are for chromosomal abnormalities, of which trisomy 21 (Down's syndrome) is the most common (Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), 2010); over 90% of women given an antenatal diagnosis of this condition choose to terminate the pregnancy (National Down's Syndrome Cytogenetic Register (NDSCR), 2011). Structural abnormalities detected by ultrasonography, most commonly affecting the nervous or musculoskeletal systems, represent another group of fetal anomalies, and the prognosis of these conditions depends on the severity of the anomaly and the organ system involved. As would be expected, women are more likely to terminate pregnancies affected by more severe conditions (Grevengood et al, 1994).
Midwives' feelings about termination of pregnancy for fetal abnormality (TOPFA) may be complex and varied. However, as screening is offered to all women, and the majority diagnosed
with a major abnormality choose to terminate the pregnancy, management of these women is an important part of a midwife's role. The care of these patients is challenging because midwives and other clinicians need to be particularly attentive to a range of clinical, psychological, and emotional issues, to ensure patients feel supported and receive the best possible care in a non-judgemental way (Bourgingon, 1999).