Statistics reveal terminations of pregnancies in hospitals in Northern Ireland

The DHSS statistics relating to medical abortions and terminations of pregnancy during 2014/15, said that of the 16 terminations of pregnancy carried out, the majority (12. 75.0%) were carried out in Belfast Trust.

The bulletin added that the majority of the 16 terminations of pregnancy (14. 87.5%) were carried out on women normally resident in Northern Ireland.

It adds that during the same time period there were six terminations of pregnancy carried out on women aged 30 years and over, seven terminations of pregnancy carried out to women aged 25 to 29, and three to women aged 24 and under.

HSC Trusts in Northern Ireland have confirmed that the following definitions have been applied from April 2013 in the identification of medical abortions and terminations of pregnancy.

Medical Abortion: Within the confines of ICD-10 code O04, this refers to the interruption of a live pregnancy for legally acceptable, medically approved indications. It also includes readmission with retained products of conception following a previous medical termination of pregnancy.

Termination of pregnancy (medical): This is defined by any patient who has a live pregnancy terminated for indications that are

legally acceptable and medically approved in Northern Ireland. Medical termination of pregnancy is a subset of medical abortion.

Abortion: The term abortion means the expulsion or extraction of all (complete) or any part (incomplete) of the placenta or membranes (products of conception) without an identifiable foetus or without a liveborn infant, or stillborn, before the 24th completed week of gestation. This covers a range of codes within the ICD-10 structure and includes ‘missed miscarriages’ (the retention of a dead foetus before 24 completed weeks of gestation, with no signs of abortion), spontaneous abortions (known miscarriages) and terminations of pregnancy.

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