Research Article: Prenatal Diagnosis and Pregnancy Termination in Jewish and Muslim Women with a Deaf Child in Israel
Abstract:
Deafness is the most common sensory disability in humans, influencing all aspects of life, However, early diagnosis of hearing impairment and initiating the rehabilitation process are of great importance to enable the development of language and communication as soon as possible. We examined the differences in attitudes towards performing prenatal invasive tests and pregnancy terminations in Jewish and Muslim women in Israel due to deafness. Overall, 953 Israeli women, aged 18–46 years with a mean age of 32.0 (SD = 7.12), were enrolled. Of those, 68.7% were city dwellers and 31.3% were village dwellers, and 60.2% were Muslim women and 39.8% were Jewish women. All participants had a child with a hearing impairment or deafness. The group with no genetic hearing loss performed more prenatal invasive tests and pregnancy terminations than those with genetic hearing loss in both ethnic groups. Jewish women performed more invasive prenatal tests and, consequently, a pregnancy termination. Secular Jewish women more frequently underwent pregnancy terminations due to fetal deafness. Further genetic counseling and information concerning IVF and PGD procedures should be provided to the Muslim population.
Introduction:
Deafness is a multifactorial varied trait [1,2], and the most common sensory disability in humans, influencing all aspects of life. Approximately 50% of congenital deafness is hereditary; the other 50% is still indeterminate. One in 1000 babies will be born completely deaf; one in 200 will be born with some type of hearing impairment [3]. At present, more than 150 genes have been known to cause hearing loss. Specific genes have been found in diverse populations, i.e., >20 genes cause deafness within the…
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