This research looked at 111 cases of perinatal demise to see how involving a geneticist affected healthcare outcomes. The team compared cases where a geneticist was involved against those without such involvement. They found that when a geneticist was part of the team, there were significant increases in genetic testing uptake, diagnostic yield, and patient education. Additionally, the likelihood of receiving genetic testing or a genetics consult for cases with second-trimester stillbirths or fewer ultrasound abnormalities was lower, suggesting more appropriate care. No safety concerns were reported in this study.
However, the study has a limitation: ascertainment bias. This means the results might be influenced by how the data was collected rather than just the intervention itself. Because of this, the findings show a link between geneticist involvement and better outcomes, but they do not prove that the involvement directly caused these improvements.
Readers should understand that this underscores the importance of integrating genetics providers into perinatal postmortem healthcare teams. While the results are promising, the evidence is limited by the study design. Patients and families should discuss these findings with their healthcare providers to understand how genetic services might fit into their specific care plans.