Theroux, Rosemary T.Hersperger, Cheryl L.2023-01-182023-01-182022-12-31Theroux R, Hersperger CL. Managing broken expectations after a diagnosis of fetal anomaly. SSM-Qualitative Research in Health. 2022 Oct 19:100188.2667321510.1016/j.ssmqr.2022.1001881-s2.0-S2667321522001500S2667-3215(22)00150-0https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14038/51568The prenatal diagnosis of a fetal anomaly is unexpected, and for many parents it is devastating. It is considered a traumatic perinatal event that presents a crisis for parents. Expectant parents dealing with a lethal anomaly are particularly at increased risk for perinatal depression, anxiety, and traumatic stress. A growing number of qualitative researchers have examined the experience of fetal anomaly. Despite the accumulating knowledge, theory has not been developed. The purpose of this study is to analyze and synthesize evidence drawn from grounded theory research in order to develop a theory that describes and explains the process parents use to manage the diagnosis and predict their needs. A systematic search was conducted in 5 databases. Fourteen grounded theory research articles were chosen and were analyzed with grounded theory methods. Parents' expectations about pregnancy and future parenting were broken with the diagnosis of a fetal anomaly. Parents use a six-stage process of Repositioning to work through the problem and direct their course on the best new pathway for their family. Both personal and situational conditions influenced the decisions and management strategies used by the family. The factors that enhance parents’ repositioning can facilitate the development of interventions to improve the care for these families.en-US© 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync-nd/4.0/).https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Congenital abnormalitiesMaternal behaviorExpectant parentsAntenatal careQualitative researchTheoryJournal ArticleSSM - Qualitative Research in Health