ARC is the only national charity which provides non-directive support and information to expectant and bereaved parents throughout and after the antenatal screening and testing process
ARC offers specialised support for as long as it is needed when parents receive a worrying screening result or when a fetal anomaly is diagnosed in their unborn baby*. Around 750,000 women in the UK become pregnant each year. More than 35,000 will be told there is a risk their unborn baby has a serious fetal anomaly. Naturally, this causes a great deal of anxiety and uncertainty. Most parents will ultimately be reassured the pregnancy is progressing as expected. Sadly, some will receive the devastating news that their baby has a serious, sometimes lethal disorder, or a condition where the outlook is uncertain.
ARC is there to offer non-directive information and support to parents before, during and after the prenatal testing process; when they are told their unborn baby has an anomaly; when they are making difficult decisions about continuing with or ending a pregnancy, and when they are coping with complex and painful issues after making a decision, including bereavement.
* We use the word 'baby' and 'parent' in our literature as most people who contact ARC choose to use these words. We appreciate not everyone is comfortable with this terminology, and ARC staff will always take the lead from callers.