Assessment of patients' knowledge of first-trimester combined Down syndrome screening at the time of their first trimester ultrasonographic evaluation: Results of a prospective study about 201 women

Objective.-Assess pregnant women's knowledge on first-trimester combined Down syndrome screening, at the time of their first trimester ultrasound scan. Materials and methods.-A questionnaire was submitted to the patients coming for their 12 week pregnancy ultrasonographic evaluation in a University Hospital prenatal clinic between May 2012 and May 2013. Correct and incorrect statements on Down syndrome screening were proposed to the mothers who were asked to rate them. Each patient was questioned on her prior exposition to Down syndrome screening, the category of medical of professional she previously consulted, and the information she received. Patients' knowledge was evaluated according to these criteria. Results.-Two hundred and one patients were included in this study. The average correct answer rating was 4.6 (out of 8 questions). The average incorrect answer rating was 2.4 (out of 6 questions). No difference was found between the different social and demographic groups, nor according to the category of professional consulted before the first ultrasound scan. Higher correct answer ratings were observed when the patient had already been submitted to a Down syndrome screening (P=0.039), when they had previously received explanations about the screening (P=0.003); and when they stated that they had been sufficiently informed (P=0.042). Conclusion.-These results show that patients' knowledge on Down syndrome screening is inadequate and depends on their experience of previous screening and information. It is deemed necessary to improve information especially to young women who are pregnant for the first time. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.