NHS Maternity Statistics, England, 2023-24

This section reports on details captured at the booking appointment. This is classed as the first official antenatal appointment which NICE recommends should occur ideally by 10 weeks into pregnancy. The majority of HES maternity data relates to the delivery episode. The only data relating to contact with services earlier in pregnancy that is recorded as part of the delivery episode is the gestation at the first antenatal assessment date.

The MSDS is different and has been designed to record activity throughout the maternity pathway, from the booking appointment to discharge from maternity services, so is able to report more information on women’s characteristics and circumstances prior to the delivery episode. Analysis in this report is of booking appointments for births in 2023-24 submitted to MSDS. This differs from the analysis of booking appointments in the Maternity Services Monthly Statistics, which only analyses booking appointments that took place in the reporting period. For example, for a birth in April 2024, the booking appointment is likely to have been in late summer 2023.

Due to partial coverage of activity reported to the MSDS both geographically and over time during 2023-24 it is advised that the following figures should be described in terms of all submitters to the MSDS rather than England level figures.

Out of all deliveries reported within HES with a recorded gestation period at first antenatal assessment, 61.4 per cent of women had their first antenatal assessment between 8-11 weeks for that pregnancy.

The proportion of deliveries in 2023-24 where the mother was recorded as a current smoker at the booking appointment was 21.2 per cent of women aged under 20. Among women aged 40 and over, only 8.2 per cent were smokers at their booking appointment. Smoking status was recorded for 91.9 per cent of women.

Of women with a recorded folic acid status, 85.6 per cent reported taking a folic acid supplement prior to, or on confirmation of, pregnancy. This was seen to vary with age with the lowest figure observed for those aged under 20 at 71.4 per cent.  Folic acid supplement status was not recorded for 14.6 per cent of women.