Termination of Pregnancy in Ireland
What was this project about?
The Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018, came into legislation on January 1st, 2019. Under Section 12 of this Act, pregnant women less than 12 weeks’ gestation can avail of termination of pregnancy (TOP) services without restriction nationally. In the first year of TOP service provision a published audit at one hospital-based maternity unit highlighted variations in service and areas for improvements. A follow-up study has yet to be conducted.
This research expands on this review by assessing early (< 12 weeks’ gestation) TOP services across the first four years of service provision in the same maternity unit. Ultimately this will identify any improvements or deteriorations in current services which will allow for enhanced quality of care for women undergoing TOP in Ireland.
Dr Hadas Miremberg also led studies examining cases of termination of pregnancy performed for major fetal anomaly over the first three years of service implementation.
What was involved?
- Retrospective medical chart review of patients that underwent early termination of pregnancy at Cork University Maternity Hospital from 1st January 2019 to 31st December 2022 inclusive.
- Retrospective study of all pregnancies diagnosed with Trisomy 18 from 2019-2022 in a single tertiary centre.
- Retrospective service evaluation of tertiary fetal medicine clinics in two tertiary maternity hospitals between 2019 and 2021 to compare pregnancies of patients diagnosed with FFA who underwent termination of pregnancy in Ireland with those of patients who did not meet the legal criteria and hence travelled outside Ireland for termination of pregnancy.
Who was involved?
Project team
| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Katie Togher | University College Cork; Pregnancy Loss Research Group | Academic Intern |
| Dr Carolina Uribe | Cork University Maternity Hospital; Pregnancy Loss Research Group | Registrar |
| Dr Deirdre Hayes Ryan | Cork University Maternity Hospital; Pregnancy Loss Research Group | Lead |
| Dr Sara Leitao | National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre, UCC; Pregnancy Loss Research Group | Collaborator |
| Dr Hadas Miremberg | Cork University Maternity Hospital; Pregnancy Loss Research Group | Registrar in Obstetrics & Gynaecology |
| Professor Keelin O'Donoghue | Pregnancy Loss Research Group | Collaborator |
Dissemination activities
Journal articles
- O'Shaughnessy E, Leitao S, Russell N, O'Donoghue K. Termination of pregnancy services: A year in review in a tertiary maternity hospital. BMJ Sexual and Reproductive Health. 2021;47(3):231-232. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsrh-2021-201049.
- Miremberg H, Uribe C, O'Donoghue K. The outcome of trisomy 18 pregnancies following the legalisation of termination of pregnancy. Irish Medical Journal. 2023;116(10):P873. https://imj.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/The-outcome-of-trisomy-18-pregnancies-following-the-legalisation-of-termination-of-pregnancy.pdf.
- Miremberg H, Oduola O, Morrison J, O'Donoghue K. Fetal anomaly diagnosis and termination of pregnancy in Ireland; a service evaluation following implementation of abortion services in 2019. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology MFM. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajogmf.2023.101111.
- Uribe C, Togher KL, Leitao S, O’Donoghue K, Hayes-Ryan D. Termination of early pregnancy in Ireland: Review of the first four years of inpatient service at a tertiary maternity unit. Irish Journal of Sociology. 2025;33(1-2):149-162. https://doi.org/10.1177/07916035251342113.
Project status
Completed: 2022 to 2023
Further information
Please email Dr Deirdre Hayes Ryan: Deirdre.HayesRyan@hse.ie
Funders
We wish to acknowledge funding received from the Health Service Executive National Doctors Training and Planning body (HSE NDTP) and University College Cork via the National Academic Track for Internship in Ireland.