More than half of all abortions performed on the basis of Down’s syndrome were omitted from government figures due to poor-record keeping by doctors, an official investigation has revealed.
According to the National Down’s Syndrome Cytogenetic Register (NDSCR), a total of 994 babies were aborted for Down’s syndrome in 2012. But figures from the Department of Health (DoH) say that only 496 terminations had taken place for the condition.
The findings by NDSCR, published on the DoH website, reveal further that 11 babies were aborted for Down's syndrome beyond the legal upper limit of 24 weeks, whilst the gestational age of the baby was unknown in 107 cases. Nearly 50 terminations had been incorrectly recorded as being performed on the basis of a risk to the mother’s mental or physical health, with no reference to Down’s syndrome.
The NDSCR’s figures are more accurate since the organisation is alerted by hospitals each time a Down’s syndrome diagnosis is made, with each case and its outcome being tracked by researchers. Department of Health figures on the other hand are based on abortion forms completed by doctors.
Conservative MP Fiona Bruce, who led an independent Parliamentary Inquiry into abortion on the grounds of disability, said it was clear that doctors had breached the law.
“Worryingly, the department appears to have made no attempt to see that the law is properly enforced,” she said.
“We now know that nearly half of abortions for Down’s syndrome were incorrectly recorded. How many doctors were referred for investigation? None.
“Health ministers must act to restore public confidence in medical practitioners in this field.”
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In a recent article, journalist Dominic Lawson, who has a daughter with Down’s syndrome, has warned against the negative effects of testing for Down’s syndrome in the womb and has spoken about the happiness and joy that his daughter has brought. Read the article here >