Recent government figures have revealed that pregnancy termination due to medical abnormalities is on the rise. Thousands of babies are being aborted every year because of medical conditions such as cleft palate and club foot.

Official figures have unveiled that during last year, 2,290 such abortions were performed, out of which 147 were performed after 24 weeks of pregnancy. Figures reveal that of these 2,290 abortions, seven were performed due to medical conditions known as cleft palate and 181 were performed due to muscouloskeletal problems such as club foot.

The figures were released after the Department of Health surrendered to a Freedom of Information Request after a lengthy legal battle with the Pro Life Alliance.

The figures revealed by the Department of Health have also revealed that 18,000 babies were aborted between 2002 and 2010 on the grounds of disability, out of these 18,000 babies, 1,189 were terminated after 24 weeks of pregnancy.

Julia Millington, a Spokeswoman for Pro Life Alliance, said, “The Pro-life Alliance is opposed to all abortion at any stage in pregnancy, but terminating the lives of babies at gestational ages when they could survive is always particularly horrifying”.