▸ Example 1: ‘There was a leaflet but I just didn't take it seriously. I didn't understand. “It couldn't happen to us”, you know what I mean? Because we don't smoke, we don't drink, so, you know, we live a very healthy lifestyle. The implication of it all didn't really, didn't really hit us at all.’ (Father of Vietnamese origin. Antenatal screening showed his partner carried beta thalassaemia and he carried haemoglobin E. Subsequent amniocentesis showed baby was unaffected.)

▸ Example 2: ‘It was a shock when the letter come through the post. We knew obviously that they'd come and they'd done the test. But with everything else that went on in hospital — I mean we probably, we probably did have leaflets. And I think if we'd had a nice delivery and sort of, you know, a nice couple of days, then I don't know, it might have been different. But we, it's just one thing we just didn't give a thought to.’ (White British mother with white partner. Baby identified as sickle cell carrier through newborn screening.)

▸ Example 3: ‘I'm thinking that perhaps if we didn't have the checks [chorionic villus sampling], she would have been well. They poke you inside like this, when they put the needle in, it's a needle this big, a big one, they poke it into you two or three times. Then I didn't get tested three times [in three subsequent pregnancies], and all three sons are well. We are regretting that they did it twice, and she is like this because of that.’ (Translated from Mirpuri. Mother of Pakistani origin and Muslim faith. First child has beta thalassaemia major.)