The Ethical Implications of Bias in Counseling Parents of Children with Trisomy 13 and 18

Many physicians continue to see serious chromosomal abnormalities as lethal or “incompatible with life.” A diagnosis of trisomy 13 or 18 is associated with a high risk of perinatal death, but children who survive the neonatal period may continue to live for several years. In sharing diagnoses with family members, physicians may convey their bias with family members. Shared decision making, using a model of patient-centered care, may help physicians to avoid conveying such bias.