The 20-Week Anomaly Scan

The 20-week anomaly scan forms part of the NHS screening programme for fetal abnormality in the UK. The ultrasound examination should be performed before 23 weeks gestation and is designed to detect a number of fetal abnormalities with an overall greater than 50% detection rate. It should also be recognised however that the ultrasound examination is a screening test and will not detect all abnormalities. There is a significant amount of litigation focusing on the failure to identify birth defects leading to litigation cases for wrongful birth. It is therefore imperative that the anomaly scan is conducted according to strict criteria to minimise the chance of litigation and wrongful birth claims.