NCARDRS Congenital Condition Official Statistics Report, 2022

In cases where more than one congenital condition was identified in a baby, the timing of detection refers to the first condition detected in that baby. 

The timing of first detection of a baby with a congenital condition was known for 12,675 (85.8%) babies in 2022 (Figure 4; Data table 4). Of these, 9,276 (73.2%) babies with a congenital condition were identified antenatally.

Of those babies identified antenatally, 5,461 (58.9%) were born alive, 164 (1.8%) were stillborn, 69 (0.7%) were a late miscarriage and 3,582 (38.6%) resulted in a termination (Data table 4). 

Where a congenital condition was first detected in a baby postnatally, 3,327 (97.9%) were detected following a live birth, 42 following a still birth, 17 following a fetal loss after 20 weeks and 13 following a termination. 

Figure 4 (Data table 4) shows that of all live births where the timing of detection was known, 62.1% of babies with a congenital condition were detected antenatally. This may be an over-estimate as conditions diagnosed postnatally are more difficult to ascertain and may be identified later. Where a baby was stillborn with a congenital condition, the condition had been detected antenatally in 164 (79.6%) cases.