PURPOSE:
Trisomy 21 (T21), or Down syndrome, is the most common chromosomal condition, with a prevalence of about 1 in 800 pregnancies. Thanks to prenatal testing, a suspicion of T21 can often be raised in the first trimester. While children with T21 may face increased health risks, advances in medical care have significantly improved their life expectancy and quality of life. Due to a lack of comprehensive guidelines and antenatal care pathways, healthcare providers often report feeling insecure in caring for these pregnancies. In turn, a majority of parents report to have had negative experiences with healthcare providers in pregnancies with T21. This presentation addresses the urgent need for improved, structured, and interdisciplinary prenatal care and the special role that midwives can play in pregnancies continued after a T21 diagnosis.

DISCUSSION:
Pregnancies affected by T21 are associated with higher risks for complications such as intrauterine growth restriction, placental insufficiency, and stillbirth. Affected parents report psychosocial stress, insufficient counselling, and a lack of neutral, high-quality information. Midwifery care plays a key role in improving prenatal care quality by offering continuous, woman-centered support that builds trust and reduces anxiety. Midwives act as mediators between disciplines, ensure emotional and psychosocial care, and promote physiological pregnancy processes. Their continuity model strengthens communication across providers and supports informed decision-making, which is particularly valuable in complex pregnancies.

EVIDENCE WHERE RELEVANT:
AWMF, 2016, Baldwin et al., 2019 de Graaf et al., 2021 Kean et al., 2019 Meredith et al., 2024 Psaila et al., 2023 Skotko et al., 2005

KEY MESSAGE:
Improving care for pregnancies with a T21 diagnosis requires an interdisciplinary, family-centered approach. Integrating midwifery care into these pathways enhances emotional support, reduces stress, and bridges gaps in fragmented healthcare systems. This presentation aims to summarize evidence-based recommendations that improve prenatal care quality, empower families, and may also benefit pregnancies involving other genetic conditions. Poster session 2 (Group A)