Late termination

POSITION STATEMENT

Children’s Heart Federation position statement on late terminations 

November 2008

Children's Heart Federation believes that parents who receive a pre-natal diagnosis of congenital heart disease should be given information on the choices open to them, including their legal right to terminate a pregnancy after 24 weeks provided that there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical and mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990). Parents should not be directed towards a particular decision regarding the continuation of a pregnancy and should be supported in any decision they make. 

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Notes to editors

·          Congenital heart conditions are the most common birth defect in the UK, and a leading cause of birth-defect related deaths world-wide.

·          Heart transplant is the only form of treatment for some of the more life-threatening congenital heart defects such as: transposition of the great arteries, coarctation/interrupted aortic arch, aortic stenosis, pulmonary atresia and hypoplastic left heart/mitral atresia.

·          The Children`s Heart Federation is an umbrella organisation with 22 member organisations, dedicated to helping children with congenital or acquired heart disease and their families in the UK and Ireland.

·          CHF provides information and support through its freephone helpline 0808 808 5000, open Monday to Friday 9:30am to 5:00pm, and its website www.chfed.org.uk