When congenital anomaly is detected on affected pregnant women, recent study showed with later birth and medical advance such as intrapartum treatment and surfactant treatment, may increased survival rates from kids with congenital anomalies.

From the study lead by Judith Rankin, Ph.D., from the Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, and colleagues said, “The proportion of terminations of pregnancy for fetal anomaly increased throughout the study period (from 12.4% in 1985 to 18.3% in 2003) and, together with year of birth, was an independent predictor of increased survival. This occurrence has already been posited as an important contributor to the reduction in infant mortality in the general population, with increasing rates of termination of pregnancy reducing the number of children being born alive with congenital anomalies.”

The analysed data study from 13,758 cases of children who delivered 1 or more congenital anomaly between 1985 and 2003 of UK Northern Congenital Abnormality Survey.

David Stone, MD, from the Pediatric Epidemiology and Community Health Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom, as commentator, said “The publication of today’s findings from the north of England should provide a much-needed boost to the cause of congenital anomaly surveillance.”