Skip to main content

Abortion

Volume 486: debated on Tuesday 20 January 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions on the grounds of rectifiable disabilities have occurred after 24 weeks' gestation in each of the last 15 years. (247738)

The number of abortions that are performed at 24 weeks’ gestation and over by principal medical condition if performed under Section l(l)(d) of the Abortion Act 1967 are in the following tables. Abortions performed under this section are those where there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped. Medical conditions recorded under Section l(l)(d) are coded using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) (10th edition) published by the World Health Organisation.

Data have been provided for years 1995 onwards. Prior to 1995, diagnoses were taken from the 9th edition of the ICD and would not allow comparison due to the differences in coding.

Principal medical condition for abortions performed under Section 1(1)(d) of the Abortion Act, 1967, over 24 weeks gestation residents1, England and Wales, 1995 to 2002

Number

ICD-10 Code2

Condition

19951

19961

19971

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

Total ground E alone or with any other

74

103

74

73

89

94

100

114

Q00-Q89

Congenital malformations total

49

74

57

59

61

59

63

79

Q00-Q07

the nervous system total

30

43

31

26

36

35

27

42

Q00

anencephaly

3

1

1

1

2

3

2

2

Q01

encephalocele

2

3

0

1

1

0

0

1

Q02

microcephaly

5

3

1

1

5

0

2

1

Q03

hydrocephalus

13

20

15

8

5

17

4

9

Q04

other malformations of the brain

5

8

8

7

7

7

12

15

Q05

spina bifida

1

8

3

4

6

8

7

6

Q06-Q07

other

1

0

3

4

10

0

0

8

Q10-Q89

other congenital malformations total

19

31

26

33

25

24

36

37

Q10-Q18

the eye, ear, face and neck

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Q20-Q28

the cardiovascular system

2

6

7

13

10

8

15

13

Q30-Q34

the respiratory system

1

1

0

0

1

0

3

4

Q35-Q37

cleft lip and cleft palate

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

Q38-Q45

other malformations of the digestive system

0

0

0

0

1

3

0

1

Q50-Q56

the genital organs

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Q60-Q64

the urinary system

7

6

7

7

6

8

4

4

Q65-Q79

the musculoskeletal system

4

9

8

9

2

4

6

10

Q80-Q85

the skin, breast integument phakomatoses

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

Q86-Q89

other

5

9

4

4

5

1

7

4

Q90-Q99

Chromosomal abnormalities total

19

20

12

10

17

20

24

25

Q90

Down’s syndrome

7

8

5

4

4

5

11

7

Q910-Q913

Edwards’ syndrome

6

4

5

1

2

5

9

6

Q914-Q917

Patau’s syndrome

1

3

1

2

4

4

1

1

Q92-Q99

other

5

5

1

3

7

6

3

11

Other conditions total

6

9

5

4

11

15

13

10

P00-P04

fetus affected by maternal factors

0

0

0

0

2

1

0

1

P05-P08

fetal disorders related to gestation and growth

1

5

3

1

4

8

7

2

P35-P39

fetus affected by congenital infectious disease

1

1

1

1

0

2

1

0

P55

haemolytic disease of fetus and newborn

1

1

0

0

2

1

0

4

P832-P833

hydrop fetalis not due to haemolytic disease

3

1

1

2

1

2

5

0

O30

multiple gestation

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

O42

premature rupture of membranes

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Z20-Z22

exposure to communicable disease

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Z245

need for immunisation against rubella

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Z80-Z84

family history of heritable disorder

0

0

0

0

2

1

0

3

1 Figures for 1995, 1996 and 1997 include 12, 10 and 10 cases respectively for non residents of England and Wales. It is not possible to provide resident-only figures for disease categories for this year for reasons of confidentiality.

2 ICD-10 codes are taken from the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (Tenth Revision) published by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Principal medical condition for abortions performed under Section 1(1)(d) of the Abortion Act, 1967, over 24 weeks gestation, residents, England and Wales, 2003-07

Number

ICD-10 code1

Condition

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

Total ground E alone or with any other2

136

124

137

136

135

Q00-Q89

Congenital malformations total

96

91

99

95

93

Q00-Q07

the nervous system total

58

35

54

60

59

Q00

anencephaly

Q01

encephalocele

Q03

hydrocephalus

10

Q04

other malformations of the brain

12

11

14

24

19

Q05

spina bifida

16

Q02,Q06, Q073

other

17

12

22

16

19

Q10-Q89

other congenital malformations total

38

56

45

35

34

Q20-Q28

the cardiovascular system

18

23

12

13

Q30-Q34

the respiratory system

Q35-Q37

cleft lip and cleft palate

411

Q38-Q45

other malformations of the digestive system

417

Q60-Q64

the urinary system

Q65-Q79

the musculoskeletal system

10

15

13

Q10-Q18, Q35-Q56 and Q80-Q893

other

15

Q90-Q99

Chromosomal abnormalities total

22

23

28

25

31

Q90

Down’s syndrome

11

12

Q910-Q913

Edwards’ syndrome

10

Q914-Q917

Patau’s syndrome

Q92-Q993

other

10

10

Other conditions total

14

10

10

16

11

P00-P04

fetus affected by maternal factors

P05-P08

fetal disorders relating to gestation and growth

P832-P833

hydrops fetalis not due to haemolytic disease

Z80-Z84

family history of heritable disorder

other*

— = suppressed value less than 10 (between 0 and 9). From 2003 onwards, totals less than 10 are suppressed for reasons of confidentiality in line with the Office for National Statistics' guidance on the disclosure of abortion statistics (2005).

1 ICD-10 codes are taken from the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (Tenth Revision) published by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

2 Over 24 week total includes abortions carried out under sections 1(1)(b), 1(1)(c) and 1(4).

3 Codes listed under 'other' have cases between 0 and 9 inclusive.

4 In line with the guidance, three year aggregate totals for 2003-2005 have been produced where possible.

* Includes cases where insufficient detail was available to allocate an ICD10 code.

Notes:

Section 1(1)(b): that the termination is necessary to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman (Ground B)

Section 1(1)(c ): that the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk to the life of the pregnant woman, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated (Ground A)

Section 1(1)(d): that there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped (Ground E)

Section 1(4): that the termination is immediately necessary to save the life (Ground F) or to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman. (Ground G)