Study suggests clinicians' decision making could be affected by 'precious baby' phenomenon

Parents who conceive through assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are likely to receive different medical advice in relation to prenatal testing than those who conceive naturally, academics have suggested. An international study has revealed that almost 45% of clinicians would recommend a 37-year-old mother undergo amniocentesis – an invasive test which screens for Down’s syndrome – if she had conceived naturally. However, just 19% of doctors would recommend the procedure for a mother whose baby had been conceived through assisted technologies. Previous research papers have suggested parents who conceive through ART may be more likely to opt for birth by Caesarean section, rather than a natural birth, in an attempt to minimise any perceived risk to their baby. But the academics, in a paper published in the Human Reproduction scientific journal, suggest there may now be evidence that doctors are also affected by the so-called ‘precious baby’ phenomenon. Dr Yaniv Hanoch, Associate Professor in Psychology at Plymouth University, co-wrote the study. He said: “Some pregnancies are deemed by parents to be more valuable than others, particularly if conception has taken several courses of assisted reproductive treatment to achieve.