With the exception of conditions such as Down syndrome and spina bifida, there are sparse data about long-term survival rates among children with congenital anomalies. Now (Peter W G Tennant and colleagues. Lancet 2010;375:649–56; see also Comment, ibid:614–6), such data have been supplied from the Northern Congenital Abnormality Survey, a population-based register in the former Northern Health Region of England (population, 3 million).

Between 1985 and 2003, a total of 13 758 cases of congenital anomaly were notified from pregnancies including late miscarriage (124), terminations for fetal anomaly (2249), stillbirths (421) and live births (10 964, 80% of the total). Anomalies included those diagnosed before the age of 16 years initially and …