Your Unborn Baby was compiled by Rachel Attwell, Jenny Robbins, and
Christine Rose, with the help of S.O.F.T. medical advisers and families affected by
trisomy 13/18 who have shared their own personal experiences.

Every family is unique. What may be right for one child or family is not
necessarily right for another, and parents can use the shared memories in these
booklets as a basis for discussion between themselves and their medical advisers.
S.O.F.T. does not recommend particular methods of treatment, and new treatment
must never be started or existing treatment changed without consultation with
your doctor and other medical professionals. S.O.F.T. does not represent any
political or religious groups.

Rachel Attwell and her husband Dominic were young healthy parents of one
child when during their next pregnancy they were given a prenatal diagnosis of
trisomy 13 and little other information apart from, “This baby is incompatible with
life”. The pregnancy was terminated at 22 weeks and Bethany was born in 1991.

‘I don’t think a day goes by that I don’t think of Bethany. I still long to hold her in my arms and tell her how much I love her; but that all encompassing pain has lessened over the years and the ache that remains is actually a comfort.’

Six months later they were told about S.O.F.T., and it was then they learned
much more about trisomy 13. Rachel says that although their ultimate decision
would probably have been the same, the S.O.F.T. information would have been
invaluable at the time of diagnosis. Rachel joined the S.O.F.T. team as a befriender,
and as well as talking to parents, organises workshops for S.O.F.T. Family Days.

Jenny Robbins and Christine Rose founded S.O.F.T. UK in 1990 two years after
Jenny had a daughter Beth who had Trisomy 13, and Christine had a son
Jonathan who had a partial form of Trisomy 18. Beth lived for three months, and at
that time there was no information for parents about these conditions, a situation
that Jenny and Christine decided to change. The first S.O.F.T. booklet YOUR BABY
was published one year later.

Jenny, Christine, and Rachel have since had healthy children and continue to
co-ordinate S.O.F.T. activities together with other S.O.F.T. trustees and area
representatives around the country.

S.O.F.T. Facts For Families booklets are a valuable source of
information about chromosomal abnormalities and related
disorders. Recent developments in antenatal screening mean that
many chromosomal problems are now diagnosed well before
birth. Women expect the various tests to provide reassurance that their
pregnancy is ‘normal’, and are not counselled routinely or given advice before a
test on what to do if a result shows the developing unborn baby may have serious
problems.

Your Unborn Baby explores the issues confronting parents after a prenatal
diagnosis of trisomy 13 or 18, and includes sections about chromosome
abnormalities, what is involved if a termination is chosen, how to plan when the
pregnancy continues, and where to get genetic advice.

Your Baby deals with the birth of a child and the early months of life, or death
if it occurs.

‘As always the need for communication is paramount
among all the professionals involved. Any one of us may see
only a few families of babies with Trisomy and may not have the
latest information to hand. The S.O.F.T. literature can also be of
help to us and to colleagues in primary or community care, and
is available on request. Much of the information applies to other
handicapping conditions too.’

Dr Una MacFadyen
Paediatric Consultant & Medical Adviser to S.O.F.T. U.K

‘I needed to explain to every shift change of staff why I was there, and that was a
terrible strain. A year later the ante-natal staff were asking, ‘What’s Edwards’ syndrome?’ and a very experienced midwife told me it was all for the best as we could have been parents in our eighties with a 40 year old handicapped person to care for. She did not accept my explanation that only a small proportion of babies even reach their first birthday.’

Experience of one mother after a prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 18

There are 22 pairs of chromosomes, numbered 1-22 in order of size, and a pair
of sex chromosomes, XX in females and XY in males, making a total of 46
chromosomes in each normal human cell. One X chromosome is inherited from the
mother, and the other sex chromosome inherited from the father is either X (baby
girl) or Y (baby boy) and determines the sex of the child. Each chromosome can be
considered as consisting of a long tightly packed string of genes.

THE HUMAN EGG AND SPERM CELL

The human egg cell and the human sperm cell each contain only 23 chromosomes. When the egg is produced by the mother, the pairs of chromosomes in the egg cell split into two, and only one of each pair remains in the egg. The same happens with the sperm cell. When a healthy egg is fertilised by a healthy sperm, the fertilised egg has 46 chromosomes and is the unique blueprint for the individual baby that grows.

KARYOTYPES

A karyotype or picture of chromosomes is prepared from a sample of blood, skin, bone marrow or connective tissue. The cultures are grown and the thread-like chromosomes in the cell are released on a slide and stained with dyes before being photographed and arranged in order of size to make study possible.

The tri in the word trisomy means three. In each cell there is one set of three
identical chromosomes among the normal pairs.

TRISOMY IN PREGNANCY

The extra chromosome may be in the egg cell produced by the mother or the sperm cell produced by the father, and the additional genetic material affects every stage of the development of the baby, rather like too much information on computer software would prevent a computer from functioning properly. It has been estimated that as many as 95 out of every 100 embryos with trisomy 13 or 18 are lost in early pregnancy.

It is not generally realised that up to half of all pregnancies are miscarried, often before a woman realises she is pregnant, and 1 in 5 confirmed pregnancies end naturally within 3 months. Many of these losses are caused by a chromosome abnormality, but a woman is unlikely to be offered chromosome tests to confirm the reason unless previous problems during pregnancy have indicated this might be a cause.

WHY DOES IT HAPPEN?

‘In many instances we don’t know the answers. Why it happens is a mystery. We
know what happens but nobody knows why it happens.”

Ian Young
Professor of Paediatric Genetics

DOES THE AGE OF THE MOTHER AFFECT THE RISK?

Every woman has a slight risk of giving birth to a baby with a chromosome defect, about 1 in 200 births. The risk of trisomy increases with age, but most babies with these conditions are born to mothers in their early twenties because more babies are born to women in this age group. Except in rare inherited cases, chromosome defects are usually one-off events that occur more often in older mothers.

TRISOMY 13 AND TRISOMY 18

Trisomy 13 and 18 births occur about once in every 1,800 pregnancies and are the most common autosomal trisomies after Trisomy 21 which is also known as Down’s syndrome. Trisomy 13 affects equal numbers of boys and girls whereas babies with trisomy 18 are three times more likely to be girls. In the United Kingdom four hundred babies a year are born with trisomy 13 and 18, and in America this figure increases to about 2,000 babies each year.

HOLOPROSENCEPHALY (HPE)

Holoprosencephaly is when the front part of the brain fails to develop into clearly separate right and left halves. Among children with this condition there is considerable variability in the degree of malformation and function of the brain.

One feature all the children have is the inability to smell because the olfactory nerves that control smell are in the front part of the brain. Although a baby with holoprosencephaly may not have abnormal chromosomes, it is common in trisomy 13.

PARTIAL TRISOMY

There is a small extra piece of a chromosome attached to another chromosome. This may be called an unbalanced translocation.

MOSAICISM

This is an error in the cell division after the fertilised egg splits into two cells.

RING CHROMOSOMES

In rare cases chromosomes can form rings due to loss of genetic material from both ends of the chromosome. Cell divisions during the development of the embryo, fetus, child, and adult, may involve further damage to the ring chromosome, and generally this cell division happens at a lower rate and body growth is slowed.

DELETIONS

A deletion means that there is part of a chromosome missing. The long arm of the chromosome is referred to as q, and the short arm as p. A deletion of the long arm of chromosome 13 would be 13q-, and numbers can be used to specify exact areas of the chromosome.

RESULTS OF CHROMOSOME TESTS

Genetics is the study of human cells, and a Clinical Geneticist will interpret the results of chromosome tests taken from blood, skin, bone marrow, or connective tissue. When tests during pregnancy have shown a chromosome abnormality the clinical geneticist, if consulted, will discuss the results with the family.

Depending on the particular abnormality affecting the unborn child, the parents may not always be given the definite answers they seek, and in some cases the information will be a mixture of the certain, the probable, the possible, and an element of ‘wait and see’. Just as people have different characteristics, they may be tall, short, have brown eyes, blue eyes etc. and suffer from a variety of different conditions; for example eczema or asthma, so babies will have individual differences although sharing the same syndrome.

‘No research has been undertaken to find out why different children live to different ages. They live to different ages because of different problems within their bodies.’
Ian Young Professor of Paediatric Genetics

DIAGNOSIS OF A RELATED DISORDER

When a translocation is present it can be difficult to predict the effect on the child as this depends on the exact amount of genetic material that is extra or missing. This is especially true when mosaicism is diagnosed.

Blood cells may show a particular percentage of trisomy cells, skin cells can show a higher or lower percentage, and cells in key organs such as the brain cannot be examined.

A detailed ultrasound scan can show abnormalities of organs such as the heart or kidneys, but it is not always possible to predict how severe the effects will be.

MENTAL HEALTH WARNING: At the end of the tests you may have more questions than answers.

CAN PARTIAL TRISOMY BE INHERITED

A baby can have partial trisomy when the parents have normal chromosomes, but in rare cases a parent may be a carrier if he or she has a balanced rearrangement of their chromosomes. A balanced rearrangement is when a piece of one chromosome is attached to another without there being any extra or missing genetic material.

Other family members may carry the balanced translocation and a clinical geneticist can explain how a future baby might be affected. Larger hospitals usually have a Genetics Department, and to obtain a referral you can ask your Obstetrician or G.P.

‘Andrew has partial trisomy 18 as a consequence of his dad having a pericentric inversion on chromosome 18. We are given a 5-10% recurrence risk for any future pregnancy and we had amniocentesis during my second pregnancy which showed normal chromosomes. Amy was born by elective caesarean section when Andrew was 18 months old and is just fine.’

‘My two year old son has partial trisomy 18 and I have been told I carry the genetic trait that caused him to have this. At first I felt guilty but it helped to talk to others in the same situation and we have since had a healthy daughter.’

‘After the birth of our daughter who had a partial trisomy 13 we consulted a geneticist and the results of blood tests showed my husband has a balanced translocation. At first he felt it was his fault and it took us a long time to talk about it. His father has been tested and is also a carrier.’

NON INVASIVE TESTS

Non invasive tests do not carry a risk of miscarriage, but neither do they make a definite diagnosis of a chromosome abnormality. Tests offered vary around the country; for example, not all maternity units offer maternal serum screening.

Non invasive tests such as an ultrasound scan or levels of certain chemicals in the blood can show if a pregnancy is in a high or low risk category, but invasive testing is then necessary to confirm a particular defect, and parents have to decide whether or not to have an invasive test. Women who know they would not have an invasive test under any circumstances may choose not to have non-invasive tests.

MATERNAL SERUM SCREENING TEST (TRIPLE TEST)
This is a blood test carried out at the 16th week of pregnancy. Raised or lower levels of certain chemicals in the blood can indicate an increased risk of Down’s syndrome, some cases of trisomies 13 and 18, and neural tube defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly.

ULTRASOUND
Ultrasonography, or scans, cannot diagnose a chromosome abnormality but can show whether the organs of a baby are developing properly. For example, a scan may show a heart defect or holoprosencephaly. A cluster of defects, (chromosomal markers), may alert medical staff to suspect a trisomy, but such a diagnosis can only be confirmed by an invasive test.
Scans may show the presence of more than one baby, ie, a twin or multiple
pregnancy.

EARLY BOOKING SCAN
The early booking scan only checks the mother’s dates. It does not seek to detect anomalies and if reported clear does not necessarily mean all is well.

FIRST TRIMESTER SCAN
This is also referred to as a nuchal fold scan, and is carried out at 11-14 weeks. The scan measures the space behind the neck of the fetus, and depending on the measurement the pregnancy is considered high or low risk for a chromosome abnormality.

ANOMALY SCAN
This is offered to pregnant women at 18-22 weeks and can show whether the organs of the fetus are functioning properly.

‘Following a routine scan there were doubts concerning my baby and I was referred
for more detailed tests’

‘They could not see all four chambers of the baby’s heart because of the way the baby was facing so one week later I was scanned again. This took over an hour and I was beginning to get worried. This time the Consultant had a Paediatrician with him and he told me my baby had a cleft palate, a possible cleft lip, and the heart and kidneys were showing up as bright areas on the scan.'

‘Early scans in my pregnancy showed no problems. Suspicions were aroused when a cleft lip showed up on a routine scan at 19 weeks. A detailed scan was done immediately and showed a heart defect.’

FETAL CARDIOLOGY
Many babies with trisomy 13/18 have heart defects and specialist centres can perform a detailed scan of the baby’s heart during pregnancy.

IMPORTANT
Continual improvements in ante-natal screening mean you must ask your obstetrician for up-to-date information about new tests that may be available.

At present the only way to make a definite diagnosis of a chromosome abnormality during pregnancy is by invasive testing, eg. amniocentesis, chorion villus sampling (CVS), or cordocentesis.

Invasive tests introduce a needle or catheter into the womb (uterus) and carry a small risk of miscarriage within a few days of the test. Although low, the risk is affected by the age of the mother, a history of miscarriages, and the level of expertise at the Centre performing the procedure. There is a very slight risk of an inconclusive result when the test must be done again. A false positive result when the baby’s chromosomes are normal, is an extremely rare occurrence.

In a twin or multiple pregnancy, invasive tests can show whether each baby has normal chromasomes, but it is rare to identify a chromasome abnormality in a twin or multiple pregnancy before 20 weeks.

It can be an important consideration for mums that at 16 weeks for amniocentesis and with another 4 weeks wait for results, the baby may be felt as moving by the time of termination, whereas with C.V.S. any intervention can be a lot earlier, often before many outsiders realise the women is pregnant so less explanations are needed.

CHORION VILLUS SAMPLING

CVS is performed at around 11 - 12 weeks and depending on the sample and the laboratory technique used, a result may be available within days. During ultrasound a special needle or catheter is inserted in the womb through the vagina or abdomen, and a small piece of placenta is removed, the baby and the placenta having developed from the same cell. The risk of miscarriage is about one to two percent, and the test result is slightly more likely to be inconclusive than amniocentesis.

‘I tried to think through the ethics of CVS. None of the journals I had on medical ethics discussed prenatal testing. If CVS could be of no benefit to this particular baby and might even harm her, surely we shouldn’t have it. On the Thursday the consultant answered our long list of questions. He said that as we obviously wanted to continue with the pregnancy it would make no sense to have CVS, and he agreed to keep a close eye on me although he thought it most likely I would miscarry.’

‘Our baby with trisomy 13 died and we decided to have CVS for my next pregnancy because you get the result earlier than with amniocentesis. The slightly higher quoted rate of miscarriage was worrying, but in the event our baby appeared to be fine and it was confirmed about a week later that her chromosomes were normal.’

AMNIOCENTESIS

This test is usually performed at around 16 weeks but can be done a couple of weeks earlier, or if later, at any time up to the birth of the baby. A needle is inserted into the abdomen, usually while the mother is being scanned, and amniotic fluid which contains skin cells from the baby is removed. These cells take time to grow and results can take as long as 4 weeks. The risk of miscarriage is low, from a half percent to one percent.

‘On the day I got the results I felt quite numb. Amniocentesis confirmed our baby has trisomy 13, an unbalanced translocation, and we were told the prognosis is extremely poor.’

CORDOCENTESIS

This test is carried out after the 18th week of pregnancy and results take about a week. A needle is inserted into the mother’s abdomen and a sample of the baby’s blood is taken from the umbilical cord. The risk of miscarriage is about one to four percent.

‘The specialist told me as gently as possible that all the defects linked up to a
syndrome called trisomy 13, and asked for permission to take blood from the cord to
confirm this diagnosis.’

‘We had to make an immediate decision on whether to have cord blood taken. We asked for somewhere private where my husband and I could discuss what we had been told, and a room was provided for us.’

‘There is no easy, painless, or single right way to tell parents their longed for
baby has a serious condition such as trisomy 13 or 18. Every baby is different, and generalisations such as ‘incompatible with life’ mean little when parents want to know how long the baby may live, and what will happen if the baby survives more than a few hours or days.’

‘Around 10% of babies with trisomy 13/18 survive for several months and some live for several years. All babies have severe developmental delay and the family need to know these possibilities and how they will be supported over this time. These issues are important to parents whose diagnosis is made during pregnancy when there is a need to consider termination or to support the family through adjusting for a baby with abnormalities. ‘

‘All parents appreciate factual information as early as possible, and if the person who first tells them a trisomy has been detected has only limited experience of the condition, they would rather this was admitted and access to more information offered. Any decisions need to be based on
maximum knowledge and genuinely informed choice.’

‘There is usually time to share facts and debate the right decisions before planning intervention. Parents really need this time and resent feeling rushed into a decision before they are ready.’

Dr Una MacFadyen
Consultant Paediatrician and Medical Adviser to S.O.F.T. U.K

When trisomy 13 or 18 is diagnosed during pregnancy, full information about the condition may not be available immediately. Parents are given the choice of continuing or terminating the pregnancy.

When only one of the babies in a twin or multiple pregnancy has abnormal chromosomes, the parents may be given the option of ending the pregnancy of the affected baby, although the family will be warned there is a risk that the baby with normal chromosomes may be miscarried as a result.

DON’T LET YOURSELF BE PRESSURED INTO MAKING A QUICK DECISION

It is sensible to talk to and listen to your doctors, genetic nurse, family and friends, and if appropriate your minister or anybody who cares about you or can provide information, but the option you choose must be one you can live with.

In many cases a week or two is not going to alter the situation radically. You are in shock, and your emotions will roller coaster from hope to despair. Give yourself time to accept what has happened, and time to realise this baby is not the baby you planned before you even think about making a decision.

‘We were mourning the loss of our imagined perfect baby and bereavement is never a good time to make decisions.’

‘The specialist explained trisomy 18 in detail, and he strongly recommended having a termination and offered to take cord blood to confirm the diagnosis. We had not thought about having a seriously handicapped baby so this came as rather a shock. It was not difficult for us to carry on with the pregnancy as we don’t believe in terminations.’

‘I have never felt so completely alone. All I wanted to do was wake up from this horrible dream. Through floods of tears my sister comforted me. I then had to give permission for some of the baby’s blood to be taken from the cord and also blood from me. I don’t remember much about this as I felt so totally numb. I was then told I had the choice to continue the pregnancy or terminate. To say I was devastated would be an understatement. I so desperately wanted this child. After an awful meeting it was decided I would return to the hospital for a termination as soon as possible.’

‘After the scan we were warned that one of the babies appeared to have problems, but we were still shocked when the test results showed one twin had trisomy 13. It was explained the affected twin could be given an injection to terminate that part of the pregnancy but we rejected this in case we lost the other twin’.

ASK QUESTIONS

Prepare a list of every question you want to ask. Don’t feel intimidated by your doctors or the medical terms they use. Ask them to explain everything you do not understand. Write down important points as you may not remember them when you get home. Not every question will have an answer!

‘The scans pointed towards a chromosomal abnormality so amniocentesis was arranged. During the 10 days we waited we kept thinking what we would do if the chromosomes were abnormal. How much physical or mental handicap could we accept? What right did we have to make this decision? Could we terminate a baby we loved?’

‘They asked me to get my husband, we sat together and listened to what she had to say. This lady was so clinical and explained that this and that was wrong. Then she dropped the bombshell and recommended we terminate the pregnancy. I simply couldn’t believe it, my husband and I were very shocked and we left in quite a distraught manner. We went home and wept. We were offered no choice really on whether to continue the pregnancy or not. The hospital doctor told us bluntly that the baby may not survive birth, or may live for a very short time. So really we felt as though we had no choice.’

SEARCH FOR INFORMATION

Talk to your obstetrician, paediatrician and geneticist. Libraries are valuable search tools, but beware of information that is out of date. Written information about the medical problems associated with trisomy 13 and 18, and information on caring for a baby with one of these conditions can be obtained from S.O.F.T. The Internet is a useful source of reference, and S.O.F.T. also has many contacts world wide for related disorders that are exceptionally rare.

‘My consultant rang me at work and told me my baby had trisomy 13, Patau’s syndrome. I had never heard of it before and he said it was like Down’s syndrome. I wish you were given more information on trisomy babies. We had to find out for ourselves. The staff at the hospital were kind, sympathetic and supportive but did not tell us about S.O.F.T.’

DON’T BLAME YOURSELF

A bereavement occurs immediately you are told the results of tests, and the guilt and grief can be overwhelming. Terminating a pregnancy raises questions of morality and ethics, and this can make it difficult for parents to discuss this option with their family and friends. S.O.F.T. can provide contact with families who have been through a similar situation and this can lessen the isolation.

‘I felt devastated. What had I done to cause this to happen? I asked and was told that it was just something that happened in a few cases.’

‘I want to thank SOFT for all your help and information at the time of decision
making. We were particularly grateful for the chance to talk to other families who had faced
a prenatal diagnosis.’

BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF AND YOUR PARTNER

Parents who are married or in a stable relationship need to be honest with each other and not shift the responsibility for the decision on to others; For example, ‘... you wouldn’t be able to cope ... the doctor thinks we should ... my mother would be too upset etc.

‘We spent all of the next day talking. We did not know what to do. All we knew was that we both wanted to do what was best for the baby. No matter how we felt, her welfare had to come first.’

‘I was given two days to discuss things with my husband before seeing the consultant again. I decided to have the amniocentesis now that this big doubt had been put in my mind, but how could I continue with the pregnancy knowing my baby would die? I rang a lady from my church who was a Life counsellor just to hear the opposite view concerning terminations. My husband said he would support me whatever decision I made, although I knew he probably would have preferred to opt for a termination and get on with our lives. While trying to make the decision I could feel the baby moving around inside me.’

IF YOU AND YOUR PARTNER STILL DISAGREE?

If a couple cannot agree on what to do, counselling may help them to explore their own and their partner’s fears in a sensitive way.

Ultimately the wishes of the mother must be respected and supported by those close to her since it is she who will bear the baby when the pregnancy is terminated or the child is born naturally.

Termination is not an easy option. It is traumatic and sad. The grief and
emotional pain can be overwhelming, and couples should have time to talk
through the details of the termination and discuss any fears, questions, or special
requirements. They need to know:

• How the termination will be performed
• Type of pain relief used
• Place of delivery
• Length of labour if after 12th week
• Support that is available afterwards

TERMINATION BEFORE THE 12TH WEEK OF PREGNANCY

Up to the 12th week of pregnancy the termination is usually performed under a general anaesthetic when the cervix is dilated and the fetus removed. This is a fairly quick procedure and may be performed on a day patient basis.

Afterwards the mother may have abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding. Both are normal although any worries should be referred to a G.P. One major aspect for many parents following this type of termination is that there is no baby to see and therefore a distressing lack of ‘real memories’.

‘It would have been nice if someone had contacted me before the termination to explain the practicalities of it all. Afterwards the hospital staff handed out literature etc. for a miscarriage. The situation is entirely different and left me feeling that I was not being listened to or understood at all.’

INDUCED LABOUR

Later in pregnancy a termination usually takes the form of an induced labour when prostaglandins are given by either vaginal pessaries, a catheter via the cervix, or an intravenous drip into the arm, and results in the delivery of a stillborn baby. In late terminations some hospitals offer the option of an injection to the baby allowing it to die before labour begins.

Termination at a later date can be long but need not be painful as a wide range of pain killing drugs are available. Oral medication to soften the cervix may be offered prior to hospital admission in order to make the labour shorter and less painful. Sometimes a D and C operation is needed afterwards to remove any of the placenta which may be left in the womb. Most hospitals are happy to allow dad or another birth partner to be present throughout the hospital stay.

‘At my local hospital terminations are carried out on a gynae/ surgical ward. I did not mind this at all because I did not want to encounter any mums and babies, and I was grateful for the privacy of a single room.’

‘We were told that survival was remote, and we were treated in a sympathetic and supportive way by midwives who had obviously seen it all before. We were grateful to be able to have a normal delivery on a delivery suite with midwives in attendance. It took 24 hours and we were encouraged to hold our son. Despite the obvious physical imperfections he looked beautiful. We named him and photos were taken. Then he was wrapped up and taken away and we did not see him again.’

‘The baby was given an injection. She was now at peace and I was induced at 9am. Although she was in breech presentation the birth was not too difficult and I was offered as much pain relief as I needed but I wanted to remember her birth and not block it out.’

‘I was very shocked to discover I would have to go through a normal labour and birth.’

AFTER THE BIRTH

Parents can plan and discuss what they want before the birth so that a ‘memories pack’ can be prepared with locks of hair, name band, hand print etc. Parents may want to see or hold baby, and
this can help to release grief. If a parent does not want to do this, photographs may be taken, and 35mm photographs will retain details better in the longer term than Polaroids which fade quickly. If only Polaroid photographs are taken they need to be copied as normal prints.

‘She was beautiful, only 2lbs 7oz but with masses of dark hair. Her skin was pink and she had lovely rosebud cheeks. Her hands were perfectly formed, no extra fingers! although her right hand was clenched. She had a cleft palate and lip on the right side of her mouth and her eyes were fused but she had a perfect little nose. We kept her with us all night, cuddling her and taking pictures. We finally let her go. If we had kept her any longer we both felt we would not have been able to part with her. We said goodbye through the tears. We now felt lost, empty and alone’

‘I contacted the Sister on the ward to ask for another photograph and someone actually delivered it to my house. Inside was a note from the Sister and Staff Nurse wishing me well and saying they hoped the remaining months of the year were more peaceful.’

‘No-one told me I could see the baby, and the shock of being asked just after the birth
prompted me to say a long regretted ‘no’.

GOING HOME AND NO LONGER PREGNANT

The mother is usually able to go home shortly after the birth. She will experience vaginal bleeding and sometimes her breasts will be tender and produce milk. This is normal. Any worries should be discussed with the midwife or your doctor.

‘A visit afterwards at home would have helped. I found my physical state very hard to cope with. After twenty-three weeks I was not prepared for so much ‘flooding’, breast pains and bleeding, and I had had one successful pregnancy.’

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS

Parents often choose to name their baby, and have a funeral which some see as an acknowledgement of the baby’s life. Should you choose not to have a private funeral, the hospital will ensure your baby is laid to rest with dignity. You may be asked for permission for a post-mortem, and it is up to you to agree or refuse.

‘I had no idea the body of our baby would be returned to us after the post-mortem. I wanted to bury her. It had all happened so quickly and unnaturally that the funeral itself was reassuring and an affirmation of her presence in our lives.’

‘We saw her in the Chapel of Rest the day before her funeral. She had a big white
teddy beside her from Emma, a small teddy from my sister and a gold cross that I was
given on my birthday. We dressed her in a tiny white dress and wrapped her in a tiny white shawl. She looked so peaceful.’

‘There were lots of beautiful flowers, the Service was a lovely one, and everyone in the family came and supported us. We know that now we only have our memories, a few photos, and a small place to visit. This seems such a little amount for such a lovely baby girl.’

LOSS

Baby loss after termination for abnormality is relatively new and not well understood by those without personal experience. Parents are sometimes expected to get on with life and the loss is not acknowledged. Those around you, and even you yourself, may expect to feel better when the termination is over, but this is often not so and the weeks and months afterwards can be a time of great anger, guilt, sadness and even depression.

‘Immediately after the termination I felt great relief at having been in control of the situation. Later I suffered grief and my partner suffered considerable anger.’

‘My wife suffered a deep sense of guilt that we killed our baby. She says she sometimes wishes she had carried him for as long as nature intended, and that if it happened again she would act differently.’

‘Everyone from the scanners to the consultants were very unsympathetic to my feelings. They expect you to accept tragic news so easily.’

‘One of the special memories we have is a song we heard while trying to decide what to do. The song is called ‘I will always love you.’ This sums up how we feel about our baby and how we will always feel.’

TELLING YOUR OTHER CHILDREN

If you have other children explain to them the baby had severe health problems, and this was nobody’s fault. Some children have definite ideas about the morality of termination, and confronting these can be hurtful so you may decide to wait until you feel stronger emotionally. Likewise a child might hold you responsible for denying them a much wanted sibling. Depending on their age you may not want to tell them the precise details of the termination.

‘We are now beginning to pick up the pieces and our young daughter asks lots of questions. We try to answer these honestly in the best way we can.’

GRIEF AFTER TERMINATION

At whatever the stage of the termination, there is likely to be a great sense of loss and many parents describe a feeling of emptiness. There is no right way to grieve and no time limit for grief. We are all different and family and friends need to respect the way parents handle their grief in whatever way they wish. Bereavement begins as soon as a parent realises the baby has a serious problem, the dreams of a perfect child are shattered, and the future seems unsure. Some may view a termination of pregnancy as a solution and may not acknowledge your need to grieve at all. Only you knew your baby, others will not mourn in the same way as they have no memories of their own.

ACCEPTING HELP

Help from hospital and community medical staff should be available and some parents are offered specific counselling. Accepting help is not a sign of weakness, the loss of a baby is devastating, and anniversaries can reawaken the sadness. It can help to talk to other parents who have been through a similar situation and S.O.F.T. can put you in touch with such parents. Also see ‘Other
Sources of Information and Support for Parents’.

Continuing with the pregnancy of a baby with trisomy 13 or 18 means one of several outcomes:

• There is an increased risk of premature labour
• The baby may be miscarried, stillborn, or die shortly after birth.
• The baby may be cared for in hospital or at home and die in infancy.
• Although survival into childhood is rare, you could be faced with caring
for a child with severe developmental delay, or you may consider shared care, fostering, or adoption

Since you do not know how long your child will live, the pregnancy is a precious time to get to know your baby. You need positive support from the medical and midwifery staff, preferably the same obstetrician and midwives to avoid the need for constant explanations each time you are examined. Once you have accepted the loss of your expected child and your dreams for their future, you can prepare to welcome a very special baby and will want to discuss possible problems and outcomes with the paediatrician. If you have other children you need to explain the baby will be poorly and may not be able to come home.

‘It was too hard to think about her death and concentrate on loving her at the same
time. Gordon was wise and said that while she was with us he wanted to enjoy her company. Those words transformed the pregnancy for me. We enjoyed everything and everywhere more knowing she was with us, and took photographs of my pregnant shape.’

‘We are much relieved since we actually made our decision to continue the pregnancy and we hope the next few weeks will be uneventful. The next months will not be easy for us but it has helped considerably to talk to other people who have been through this situation before.’

‘We told everybody we knew about Joshua and had the prayer support of numerous
people. I was praying most of all that Joshua would be born alive and we’d all have long enough to get to know him. I actually quite enjoyed my pregnancy. We decorated a room for Joshua and bought a couple of outfits for him. Our young son prayed Joshua would be well enough to come and live with us, even if it was just for a short time.’

‘Having got a definite diagnosis, we spent the rest of the pregnancy preparing
ourselves, our daughter, and the rest of the family for a handicapped baby that would either be stillborn or die shortly after birth.’

‘I talked many times to the SOFT befriender who had also had a prenatal diagnosis
some years earlier and knew how I was feeling. She encouraged us to focus on both of the twins, and this advice was both helpful and practical in the weeks leading up to the birth as it was easy to fall into the trap of considering the needs of only one baby.’

‘Our son was diagnosed as having trisomy 18 after abnormalities showed up on a 20
week scan. We decided to continue the pregnancy and even though we face a time of anguish and joy ahead, I am so delighted to still have him here with me. He is quite active and kicks me, especially when I am travelling to work by train which I find very reassuring.’

HELP DURING PREGNANCY

Other people can help during pregnancy by making contact, writing, visiting, and generally being supportive. It is less of a worry to have others to spread the news and do all the explaining. It is not helpful when people do not accept the gravity of the situation and try to say everything will be all right.

‘I was grateful for people who asked useful questions and acknowledged our baby in
what they said or wrote or prayed. They took photos of the pregnant me and gave them to us after her death, and it was important to me that they allowed me to be with their children.’

THE BIRTH

Your birth plan should take account of decisions that may need to be made quickly, such as an emergency Caesarian section for fetal distress. Doctors no longer assume the long term prognosis justifies non-intervention, and some parents will want to do all they can to enhance whatever chance the baby has of even limited length and quality of life. This can include opting for a Caesarian, or letting nature take its course.

‘I was told Trisomy 13 babies never lived and I would probably need a Caesarian section which would then have implications for future pregnancies. We met with the paediatrician who gave us some details about Patau’s syndrome and also discussed with us what medical intervention we would want. We agreed to keep the birth as natural as possible and do nothing to artificially prolong his life. When he was born, 4 weeks early and breech, I can honestly say I was delighted with him. I am so pleased that we’d known what he would be like before he was born and it was really exciting to see him moving and hear his tiny cry. Joshua lived for four months and for much of that time needed no special nursing care. We are really pleased we gave him the chance of life.’

‘Heather arrived safely after a planned Caesarean birth. She was kept in special care
for a few days to improve oxygen levels in her lungs which had been full of fluid, and was then able to come home.’

‘Anna was a breech vaginal delivery and needed no resuscitation apart from oxygen.
She was looked after in a Special Care Baby Unit but needed no special care apart from being tube fed.’

‘There were times I was angry with her for having ousted our normal baby, and for
keeping us back from starting a ‘proper’ family. I was most angry when much nearer term a further scan showed her likelihood of survival was minute but she was breech and the question of a caesarean section arose. I knew putting her first meant having a section but I was angry at the futility of it. How much was I to sacrifice for her to die anyway? What if the section made other deliveries hazardous? This was the time when it was hardest to love her. We opted for the section and I saw a paediatrician who spoke with real concern for the baby, and I realised that although the consultant and midwives had been very caring towards us they had never expressed concern for the baby. The paediatrician said things might not be as bad as they seemed and she gave me the hope I needed to love my baby. Jennifer Grace was born by Caesarean section under spinal anaesthetic. As a bonus she was beautiful. We had prayed that she would be peaceful and comfortable and she was. Her lungs were too fragile to be ventilated for long and we were given her to hold for her
last fifteen minutes. She had lived for 5 hours.’

WHAT WILL MY BABY LOOK LIKE?

Many newborn babies with trisomy 13 or 18 look like any other new infant to their parents, but it is common for babies to have a light birth weight, slightly lower than normal ears, clenched fists, unusual palm and fingertip patterns, and slower or absent reflexes.

Some babies have other noticeable problems associated with these conditions
such as a cleft lip, club foot, defects of the abdomen or eyes, and detailed ultrasound scans may detect these and allow parents to be prepared and make provisional plans with the paediatrician before the birth.

WHEN A BABY IS STILLBORN OR DIES SHORTLY AFTER BIRTH

Babies with a severe chromosome abnormality may suffer from major medical problems and be stillborn or die shortly after birth. After delivery some babies can
need resuscitation and oxygen before being able to breathe unaided, and the nature of this should be discussed beforehand. Parents may decide strenuous resuscitation
is not appropriate.

Memories are important, and these can include being able to cuddle and say goodbye to your baby, and having something tangible to treasure such as a memory pack with a lock of hair, photographs, hand and foot prints, and a name band. 35mm photographs will retain details better in the longer term than Polaroids which fade quickly. If only Polaroid photographs are taken they need to be copied as normal prints. The Hospital Chaplain or a chosen minister will be willing to conduct a blessing, and later a funeral service if that is your wish.

‘We look back on the pregnancy as a special time because she was with us. We miss her as a much loved member of our family. She had a funeral to celebrate her life, and if we have other children we can tell them about their older sister. All these things help us to come to terms with our loss.’

‘Even though Amy had died before she was born, she is precious and still an important part of our family. The fact that we were given time to be with her and hold her, has always been vital in enabling us to think of her as a real person.’

A BABY NEEDING INTENSIVE CARE

Some babies require the facilities of the Special Care Baby Unit only until breathing and feeding are established and these babies are then transferred to a ‘baby ward’, and may be able to go home when hospital nursing is not required.

Where there are major life threatening problems and the future of the baby seems hopeless, it may not be right to provide the highest level of life saving skills, but the decision not to give intensive care to prolong the life of a very sick baby does not mean that loving care is withdrawn. The child can be kept comfortable and peaceful with much of the nursing care being provided by the parent or parents and supported by the medical staff.

‘The SCBU were marvellous letting me hold her and spend as much time with her as I wanted. Katie died when she was three days old.’

‘The doctors recommended doing no surgery or heroics and we agreed with them at
the time.’

‘While I was sleeping at night, John would sit in special care talking to Christopher about the world outside, of the things they could have done together, singing to him continually keeping up a hum of words. It was as if he was trying to cram Christopher’s whole life into four days.’

CARING FOR A BABY WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AT HOME

Parents may have the option of taking a baby home when hospital care is not required. Specialised support should be arranged together with a structured care plan to prepare a family for problems that may arise, and the care plan must be flexible to the changing needs of the baby or the family.

‘Always feel that you can ask for information or advice - as many questions and as often as you need. Ask the people you trust and who can give you the information you need.’
Dr Una MacFadyen Paediatric Consultant

‘Half way through my pregnancy we knew Suzannah had trisomy 13. She was born
normally with lots of lovely red hair and weighed 6lb 11oz. We cuddled her for a few hours before she was taken to the Special Care Baby Unit. She couldn’t feed because of her cleft lip and palate and a drip was set up. The difficult question of surgery arose because Suzannah had a bowel obstruction and surgery would be required to correct it. When we considered her other medical problems we felt that this high risk surgery would not be appropriate for Suzannah. We were then able to choose to care for her at home. We had Suzannah for 16 days and we made that time extra special.’

Feeding problems can cause slow growth and low weight gain because babies lack the co-ordination to suck and swallow properly. Mothers who want to breast
feed can express their milk, and Haberman Feeders are designed for babies with
feeding difficulties by concentrating the baby’s sucking effort directly on to the milk
in the teat so that the weakest suck gets results and air swallowing is reduced. Babies often need tube feeding, and families can learn to do this at home. To give parents a rest, a special overnight feeding ‘pump’ can allow the baby to feed through the night.

‘Cian never cried for his feed. In fact we had to keep a close watch and wake him
when a feed was due. He was successfully tube fed with my expressed breast milk during his short life of five and half weeks.’

Some babies have apnea (breath holding spells) and parents may consider the use of breathing monitors, and learning simple resuscitation. Families taking a baby home should be informed about Special Care Baby Unit staff home visits, Community Paediatric nurses, physiotherapy, respite and shared care, and state allowances.

‘Anna died suddenly when she was 16 days old. There was no obvious warning. She
had apnea during a feed and couldn’t be revived. The suddenness of her death was a shock to everyone even though we knew she could die at any time.’

The outlook for a baby with other chromosomal abnormalities or a related disorder such as partial trisomy or mosaicism may be much more hopeful than that of a baby with the full trisomy 13 or 18 depending on the precise nature of the defect, and the professional opinion of a clinical geneticist must be sought.

‘Frequency of occurrence, gaps in medical knowledge, and the lifespan of babies combine to invalidate previous statistics.’
Dr John Cary SOFT USA

‘Hannah has partial trisomy 13 and we were given little hope of her survival in the early days, and we only learned the truth after insisting we saw a genetic consultant. Hannah has had various health problems and has special needs, but we now walk happily to school.’

‘We were told Ayob had trisomy 13 mosaic when my wife was 6 months pregnant. We are Muslim and although termination was advised we did not consider it. Ayob needed heart surgery when he was three, and he is now a bright six year old in normal schooling, and is healthy apart from being prone to colds and chest infections.’

‘Katy is nearly 9 years old and she has ring 13. She needs no special nursing, just twenty-four hour attention with her daily functions which are very slow.’

‘Our son Joe has a deletion on one of the long arms of chromosome 13. He has small stature, hearing and visual difficulties, and mental handicap. He is however, a happy, lively and well child.’

‘Jonathan has a rare form of partial trisomy 18, and when he was diagnosed the consultant stressed how serious his particular condition was. Jonathan is now 10 years old and he is profoundly handicapped and goes to a special centre on a daily basis. Trying to arrange suitable long term care in a stimulating and loving residential environment is proving a lengthy process.’

‘We had a pre-natal diagnosis of Mosaic 12 for Heather and the extreme rarity of the condition and the very poor prognosis were devastating. We refused the advice to terminate without futher tests, opinions and research. Ultimately after 5 weeks we took the decision to continue the pregnancy. Heather is now 6 years old. She is beautiful to look at and has a bubbly, caring personality. She is doing very well in school and in her own words in her school report “finds nothing hard.” We have moved location since Heather was born and here her history is not known - nor is it apparent in any way.’

‘No day passes without us remembering our good fortune and the support we received from S.O.F.T. in allowing ourselves time to reach our decision.’

‘Jenny has a deletion of the short arm of chromosome 18, and she suffered badly from fits and GO reflux. Since she has had the Nissen operation and a gastro tube, she keeps her food and drugs down, and the fits are completely controlled. The operation transformed her, and she now plays with toys, laughs, and is beginning to vocalise.’

‘Michael had holoprosencephaly and lived for 6 months. Throughout his life he was tube fed, and on medication to stop fits and GO reflux. He didn’t sleep much at night, and we had frequent trips to hospital for respite care and illness. At 5 months he was unable to swallow mucus and we had to use a portable suction pump. One of my proudest moments was when I dressed him in a little sailor suit and walked through the hospital to the car park. Lots of people gave me admiring glances as though to say, ‘What a lovely boy.’

‘Tyanne has ring 18, and she is small, has constant ear infections, a squint, and a dislocated hip which they are correcting.’

‘Simon has holoprosencephaly and is 10 years old. He has a shunt, but is a very happy boy despite his disabilities. His speech is clear and mostly relevant and he has global developmental delay, about on par with his sister who is aged 5.’

The S.O.F.T. booklet YOUR BABY - FACTS FOR FAMILIES explores in detail the practical issues of caring for a baby with trisomy 13, 18, or a related disorder and is available free of charge to families.

Only a baby’s life
Brief as a perfumed kiss
How fleet it goes, but our Father knows
We are nearer to Him for this

No two people react in exactly the same way to the death of a loved one, or to the diagnosis that their baby is going to be anything but perfect. Parents want their child to be healthy and the knowledge that a baby has a serious chromosome defect is devastating.

There are various stages of grief but we don’t always follow a set pattern and not everybody needs expert counselling. However, everybody does need to share the sorrow of losing a loved one with someone. At whatever time your baby dies no-one can really prepare you for the great sense of loss that follows.

‘There is a period of grief you go through and the need to mourn the ‘normal’ baby for which you have been planning and hoping.’

‘I feel a bit sad that we have never been offered any formal genetic counselling, and we never had any follow up after Anna died, either from the obstetric or paediatric field.’

‘When Susan died, my overwhelming feelings were those of relief that her life hadn’t been prolonged. I thought that because she was severely handicapped that this would make my grieving easier. However I found myself desperately wanting her back, not with trisomy 18, but as a strong healthy little girl.’

IN SHOCK

The initial shock brings a numbness that could be described as being on ‘auto pilot’. We can function but are shielded from the full impact of what has happened. A person may be heard to be saying over and over again ‘It can’t be true’. C. S. Lewis wrote, ‘A sort of invisible blanket between myself and the world’. This not accepting reality may lead to guilt as we recognise what has happened.

‘Why did it happen? I don’t believe that these things happen for a purpose. There’s a spiritual battle going on and often the devil has his way. What we learn is a by product. God, our loving Father, cushioned us and sustained us with his grace. It wasn’t Him who hurt us. He hurt with us.’

ANGER AND GUILT

As we question, there may be anger and guilt focused against other people; for example, doctors and loved ones also resentment against those who don’t appreciate their own healthy babies. Such bitterness is quite normal but can become destructive if you are unable to share it. Parents turn to each other for support, but it is unlikely two people will experience exactly the same emotions at the same time and this can put a strain upon a relationship.

‘I still find people’s attitudes very hard, even my sister in law was surprised I was still depressed. Everybody expects me to be back to normal but how can you when you feel like shouting out, “Do you know my baby died months ago and it still hurts so much it may as well be last week.”

‘I think any mother of an ‘abnormal’ child feels some guilt as if she made her child that way - she can feel as if she is not worthy to be a proper mother. To exclude her from the world of children reinforces that feeling of inadequacy.’

‘It took me a long time to deal with the loss of a twin. I felt resentful that I had wanted only one child, been given two and then had one taken away.’

IF ONLY...

There may be a short period fantasising when you keep thinking, ‘If only.....’Then the loss becomes very real and the bereaved parent releases the sadness and may spend a lot of time weeping. This is when one feels most lonely, but it is when the healing process begins and is very important.

Try to share this stage with someone you trust. Your partner may or may not be able to cope, and it seems it will never end and you may feel resentful towards members of your family who can share a joke together. They may welcome the chance to tell you their true feelings so do try to talk to them and to your children about how you are missing your baby. You will soon be ready to pass on to the next stage which is considered the most difficult because it needs a certain amount
of effort to achieve.
It is ‘letting go’.

LETTING GO

We cannot cling forever to the baby we loved and who has died. There is no benefit to either ourselves or the deceased. Avoid making impractical promises like vowing to visit the grave everyday. Siblings will grow to resent this and it will achieve nothing. Letting go may awaken guilt, but you cannot rebuild your life until you are free from the burden of grief. As you let go memories become less painful and easier to cherish.

‘I think that after a few months we began to see the light at the end of the tunnel. There are obviously still tears, but it is only now that we begin to realise how few people can actually identify with what we are going through.’

LEARNING TO LIVE AGAIN

This is the final stage and since grieving uses a lot of energy you need to ‘get fit’. Do some of the activities you used to enjoy but had to give up. Make new friends and spend time on hobbies and interests.

MEMORIES

Babies who die during pregnancy or shortly after birth leave parents with few memories. People may assume a short life means a shorter grief but this is not so. Every little reminder can be important, and many parents keep a scrap book or memory box containing everything associated with the baby. A diary of memories can become a cherished family album, and some parents like to plant a tree, paint a picture, write poetry or embroider a tapestry in memory of their baby.

‘Each year we mark her birthday, and by talking about her in our daily lives we are keeping her memory alive. She is too important to be forgotten.’

COUNSELLING SERVICES

Some hospitals and health authorities have access to bereavement counselling services for parents. For example; in Leicester the LAURA Centre offers help to parents with a wide experience of loss of a child, and in Gloucestershire Winston’s Wish provides counselling and activities for bereaved children.

Knowing in advance that your baby has a serious chromosome defect means you can prepare those around you, including the baby’s brothers and sisters. It is not easy at such an emotional time to break such news.

FIVE SIMPLE RULES

      • Share your grief with your other children
• Encourage them to share their grief with you
• Express your love with kisses and cuddles
• Make quality time to talk and listen
• Answer questions honestly

WHAT TO SAY

The kindest course is to tell them what is happening or has happened in words they understand. In the absence of a truthful explanation, children’s fertile imaginations will conjure up the worst possible scenario sometimes casting themselves in the role of the villain causing the distress. Use simple phrases, answer questions honestly and say if you don’t know the answers. Children will ask what they need to know.

‘After our baby died our young son thought you have a baby for a while, the baby lives for a short time, and then the baby dies. We explained that only very poorly babies that can’t get better are the ones that die. The healthy ones don’t die.’

‘Mum was going to have a baby and the whole family was excited, especially me. All my friends had baby brothers or sisters and I couldn’t wait to play with our baby. My little sister arrived and we called her Beth. But mummy and daddy kept crying because Beth was very poorly.’

YOUNG CHILDREN

Young children are receptive to the grief of a parent and can become clingy. Avoid changes in the daily routine such as meal and bed times. Seeing a parent in distress is very frightening and parents should be prepared for tearfulness, bedwetting, and tantrums.

Even small children can feel guilt and imagine they contributed to the death by bumping against mum or even wishing the baby would go away when they experienced pangs of insecurity. They must be reassured that the baby was different and weak, and the death was nobody’s fault.

Death can be related to things they understand such as animals and flowers and words like ‘loss’ and ‘taken from us’ that can confuse should be avoided.

There are picture books for very young children to help them understand, and they can be encouraged to express their feelings by drawing pictures.

‘We told our children their baby sister had gone to heaven, and her body was like an empty chrysalis after a beautiful butterfly had flown away.’

CHILDREN AT SCHOOL

Children worry about breaking down in front of class mates. They may have off days when concentration is difficult, or get into arguments and fights. Teachers need to know what has happened and what information the child would like the class to know. Arrange a place of refuge at the school and someone the child can go and confide in; for example, a supportive school nurse.

OLDER CHILDREN

Older children will worry about the reality of death, their own and a parent. Many become over-protective of a parent and try to assume the family tasks and responsibilities, or they can be sullen and refuse to talk about what has happened.  Some children develop vague headaches and stomach pains.

Children may be happier to talk to someone outside the immediate family such as a close relative or teacher, and can express their feelings by keeping a daily diary. New interests such as sport or music are a positive step.

VIEWING THE BODY

Undertakers and hospitals have a Chapel of Rest and many families take their other children to see the body of the dead baby. Parents are anxious about the effect this might have on brothers and sisters, but children have vivid imaginations and it is kinder for them to see, and perhaps hold the dead baby to reassure themselves the body of the child looks peaceful and is no longer alive. It may be difficult for the adults to accept this, but for the children death is a natural part of life, and they may have had experience of it with wild animals, pets and older relatives. Siblings treasure a personal keepsake or photograph.

A FUNERAL

Warn children this is a sad occasion and the way we say goodbye when someone dies, and involve them in the planning of the funeral, perhaps to place flowers on the coffin, say a prayer or reading, or choose a favourite song or hymn.

‘At the funeral of my baby sister I didn’t cry. I think I had run out of tears. Everybody was very sad and we put wild flowers on her coffin.’

SHARING GRIEF

Parents preoccupied with their own grief may not realise just how unhappy their other children are. Families share happiness and they should be able to share sadness and tears and understand that grieving can be a lengthy process. Don’t be afraid to let your children see you cry, and tell them what has made you sad or even angry, and explain that this anger is not directed at them, and that it is tiredness that may be making you irritable and bad tempered.

Give extra cuddles to the quiet child who is suppressing their emotions in order to protect the parent from further distress. Older children tend to hide their feelings anyway and wonder if their behaviour contributed to the death. There are books written about death aimed at all age groups, and it can help to read them together and discuss the way the issues are dealt with. A video, ‘When a Child Grieves’ can be obtained from the Child Bereavement Trust.

God never promised sun without rain
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain
But God has promised strength for the day
Rest for your labour and light for your way
Grace for the trial and help from above
Unfailing sympathy
Undying love

Parents worry about the health of future children, and another pregnancy is an anxious as well as happy time. There is no right time to get pregnant, and for some people healing and the return of confidence comes much sooner than for others.

Parents must decide according to their own individual circumstances.

Conception can take place soon after a termination or a full term delivery. Some couples ‘try’ to have another baby without delay, and older women may decide time is a luxury they do not have. Other couples need to wait until they are ready; and for some parents, for whatever reason there will be no other baby, and the baby with trisomy may be their only experience of parenthood.

‘Although another baby will never, and should not, replace Kate we both feel we wanted her so much that for the sake of her memory and for her sister and for ourselves we will try again, but always in my mind is the worry that I don’t know if I could cope with the loss of another baby if things go wrong. We have been told we will be sent for early tests in London. I hope we have the courage to try again.’

‘I was 41 when Beth (who had Trisomy 13) died, and 42 when Daniela was born, both by Caesarean. My gynaecologist gave me the all clear to get pregnant again, and I realise I was very blessed to have a healthy baby girl only 11 months after Beth was born.’

‘I had a further miscarriage two months ago, and I do doubt my ability to have babies as I seem to be surrounded by women producing healthy babies. You get quite jealous that they breeze through 9 months and you wonder when you will lose your baby and worry the whole time.’

‘After Joshua died my life felt very empty and I began to consider another baby. We went to see a geneticist to have our own chromosomes tested and to discuss what the chances of another baby with chromosome abnormalities were.’

RENEWED SADNESS

A new pregnancy brings renewed pressures and sadness for the baby that died. Ante-natal screening must be considered, but whatever the advice you do not have to undergo invasive testing unless you wish to do so.

‘I refused to have the AFP blood tests as I did not feel they would be helpful to me, my consultant was quite surprised by this. I was very nervous when I went for my 18 week anomaly scan. It was this scan which had first hinted at Joshuas problems.’

‘When my son was born we were thrilled he was healthy, but as he developed
normally we realised how disadvantaged our daughter had been with all her problems.’

‘During my next pregnancy I had every test that was on offer. Each brought temporary reassurance but I would then worry that the next one would show that something was wrong. It wasn’t until my baby was born and was so obviously healthy that I allowed myself to relax a little.’

‘I was lucky and my second child is healthy. I have a very different attitude to his, and others’ lives though. Just as parents of babies with serious problems know they may only have them for a short while, I feel that even for a ‘normal’ person, each day is a gift and an experience to be thankful for.’

SOFT would like to acknowledge everybody who contributed to the publication of this booklet, and especially to give grateful thanks to the following:

Rachel Attwell
Jenny Robbins
Chris Rose
Sandie Simpson Fundraising
Ian Young Professor of Paediatric Genetics
Dr Una MacFadyen Paediatric Consultant
Dr R. H. Lindenbaum dec’d Medical Adviser SOFT 1990-91
Barbara Cooke Bereavement Counsellor
Claire Hodgeson Design of SOFT logo
Jenny Robbins Illustrations
Dr D W Stevens Paediatric Consultant
Dr Sarah Wall of Image Recognition systems for the karyotypes
Dr Mason Barr Jr MD
Fernside Centre for Grieving Children
and all the families who have shared memories of a special child

It would be impossible to mention everyone who has contributed financially to this booklet but SOFT would like to give a special thank you to the following:
Fiona Corby Sponsored Walk
Gaye Fish and fund raisers at the Cavalier Pub Cardiff
John Franklin Shrivenham RMCS and R.A.F. Cranwell
Bob Kingshott the Ladies Darts Team and the Lindford Working Mens Club
Anne Sangster and the Orpington and Baptist Women’s Guild

SOFT families are forever generous in their fund raising efforts and it is this generosity that enables SOFT to continue to support families. In particular money was raised in memory of:

Emily Boneham
Lauren S -Brookshaw
Connie Carpenter
Georgia Dowling
Katie Franklin
Michael Kingshott
Patrick C-McCallion
Gemma Louise Merris
Jessica Reith
Russell P - Simpson
Sidney Sangster
Eleanor Corby
Emma Kirwan
Zoe Richards

SOFT is a registered charity, No. 1002918, and is the Support Organisation
for Trisomy 13 (Patau’s syndrome), Trisomy 18 (Edwards’ syndrome), and related
disorders such as translocations and mosaicism.

SOFT has strong links with the medical profession, and the Genetic and
Medical Advisers are Ian Young a Professor of Paediatric Clinical Genetics, Dr Una
MacFadyen a Consultant Paediatrician and Peter Garwood, Bsc.(Hons)
F.B.C.O.D.C.L.P. Optometrist.

SOFT provides help and information for families after a diagnosis of one of these conditions. Families are put in touch with befrienders who are willing to listen and share their experiences.

Each year a Family Day is organised when members can meet together and talk to other families and to medical professionals.

SOFT supports a network of area co-ordinators, and publishes a range of literature dealing with the various problems families face when affected by one of these conditions.

SOFT 24 hours helpline Tel 0121 351 3122

Visit the SOFT web site on www.soft.org.uk

E mail: enquiries@soft.org.uk

SOFT distributes Facts for Families booklets, Link Lists and newsletters free of charge to family members. The booklets produced by SOFT UK fulfil a desperate need for practical and positive information presented in a sensitive way.
To cover the cost of printing and postage, professionals and students are asked for a donation of £5 per information pack.

Professional Enquiries:

7 Orwell Road
Petersfield, Hampshire, GU33 4LQ
Family Enquiries:

48 Froggats Ride, Walmley
Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B76 2TQ

OTHER SOURCES OF SUPPORT FOR PARENTS

ARC Antenatal Results and choices (formerly S.A.T.F.A.) 0207 631 0285
(ARC publish a booklet 'Another Pregnancy' for families considering another pregnancy)

Contact a Family 0207 383 3555

Down's Association 0208 682 4001

Child Bereavement Trust - Child Deaths Helpline 0800 282 986

Compassionate Friends 0117 966 5202

In Touch 0161 905 2440

Life 0192 642 1587

Relate 0178 8573241

Samaritans 08457 909 090

SANDS 0207 436 7940

Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus 0173 3555 988

TAMBA (Twins and Multiple Births Association)  0151 3480020

Unique 01883 330766

G.I.G Genetic Interest Group 020 7704 3141

Disability Alliance 020 7247 8776