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.
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).
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)