Number of Irish Babies Aborted for Down Syndrome Rises

19.06.2017

Forty-three Irish babies were aborted in Britain last year because they were diagnosed with Down Syndrome. Overall, 141 women from the Republic had abortions in the UK on grounds that the babies were at risk of serious disability.

These included seven abortions after a diagnosis of spina bifida. Other abortions included 20 babies from Ireland diagnosed with Edward’s syndrome and thirteen with anencephaly, the annual statistics from the UK’s Department of Health revealed.

For women resident in England and Wales, 3,208 abortions were approved because the baby had a medical condition. In 46 per cent of these cases it was a congenital malformation, and in 706 cases the baby was found to have Down Syndrome.

Over one in three of the women from Ireland (1,175) gave a Dublin address. Some 241 were from Cork, 113 from Galway and 130 from Kildare. Nearly one in five had a previous abortion.

Department of Health (E&W). June 13. Family & Life. June 13.