7 out of 10 continue pregnancy despite the foetus’ disease

Pregnant woman.Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB scanpix

7 out of 10 women choose to continue their pregnancy despite illness or deviation in the foetus according to research from Trøndelag.

“It is not the case that the trend is for more people to choose to interrupt their pregnancy for less serious illness in the foetus” Professor Emeritus, Sturla Eik-Nes, at NTNU, told Aftenposten newspaper.

He believes it is important information to take with him into the debate on the abortion law.

The survey, which has recently been updated, collected data from 56,312 pregnant women from a “normal population” in Trondheim and eight municipalities. They were in for routine
ultrasound examinations in the period 1987–2001.

During this period, 838 foetus’ were diagnosed with serious illness or developmental deviations. Of these, 252 women chose to discontinue their pregnancy. About 90% of the
abortions were in the group with expected death or severe disability. Only two foetus’ were aborted in the category of “moderate disability survival”.

The figures are published as part of gynaecological specialist, Kristin Offerdal’s doctorate. Recently, together with Eik-Nes
and associate professor and midwife, Eva Tegnander, she has gone through numbers from 2007 to 2011.

They found no change in the reason why women choose to interrupt their pregnancy during that period.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today