UK Sees Rise in Abortions for Babies with Disabilities
In 2023, UK abortions for babies with disabilities, including Down’s syndrome, rose, with advocates warning that prenatal screening and current law drive widespread disability-based terminations.
LONDON — New statistics released by the Department of Health and Social Care show that in 2023, 735 abortions were carried out for babies diagnosed with Down’s syndrome, up 7.3% from 656 in 2019. Overall, 3,205 terminations for babies with disabilities occurred in England and Wales last year, a 2.6% increase from 2022. Ten late-term abortions at 24 weeks or later involved babies with Down’s syndrome, while 300 late-term abortions involved babies with other disabilities. Under current UK law, abortion is permitted up to birth if a baby is diagnosed with a disability.
Advocates warn that the expansion of Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) is likely increasing the number of terminations for Down’s syndrome. Investigations show NHS hospitals introducing these tests have seen a sharp decline in births of babies with the condition. Experts say private and public access to DNA testing may be contributing to these rising figures.
Lynn Murray, spokesperson for the Don’t Screen Us Out campaign, criticized the practice as discriminatory. She highlighted that about 90% of babies prenatally diagnosed with Down’s syndrome in England and Wales are aborted, raising concerns about the purpose of prenatal screening and current UK abortion law, which permits termination based on disability.
Previously, the UOJ reported that Governor Newsom had blocked extradition of abortionist to Louisiana.
