HC Deb 26 October 1981 vol 10 cc272-5W

Mr. Carter-Jones asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the percentage of births weighing 2,500 grams or less in each member country of the European Community and in each Scandinavian country and in Japan in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg:

The figures for which the hon. Member asks are not routinely available, but from a variety of published sources we have been able to collect the following:

Country Year Percentage of total

births weighing

2,500 grams or less

England and Wales19807.3
Scotland19787.0
France1975-76*6.5
Norway19794.5
Sweden19774.2
Denmark19786.3
Finland19784.2
Germany, Federal Republic1973†6.8
Japan1976†4.9
* Based on a sample of 4,685 deliveries.
† Percentage of live births only.

Mr. Carter-Jones asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the percentage of babies weighing 2,500 grams or less by area and region in England in 1980 and state the number and rate of stillbirths, first week deaths, first month deaths and deaths under one year; and if he will make a statement.

Dr. Vaughan:

The information presently available is given in the table below. Numbers of deaths under one year of babies weighing 2,500 grams or less are not collected by the Department but it is hoped that estimates of numbers and rates can be produced by OPCS towards the end of next year.

Babies weighing 2,500 grammes or less at birth

England, Regional Health Authorities and Area Health Authorities 1980

Percentage

of all live

and still

births

Stillbirths Deaths 1st week Deaths 1st Month (28 day
Number Rate per 1,000 live and still births Number Rate per 1,000 live births Number Rate per 1,000 live births
England7.32,999662,501592,87268
1. Northern RHA7.0223761957221379
Cleveland8.0659344694672
Cumbria7.0338219512465
Durham6.534665210857118
Northumberland5.5115210501260
Gateshead8.0104615721572
Newcastle upon Tyne7.4228213531561
North Tyneside6.8106010631276
South Tyneside7.71280853853
Sunderland6.3269524972497
2. Yorkshire RHA7.9273722095924770
Humberside7.0597527373751
North Yorkshire6.1306824582560
Bradford10.3556537474354
Calderdale9.5124920862399
Kirklees8.5347330693888
Leeds7.9557643655177
Wakefield7.228912810030107
3. Trent RHA7.5284632626230472
Derbyshire6.9617845635070
Leicestershire8.1515156596467
Lincolnshire6.5316923552560
Nottinghamshire8.1535062626969
Barnsley7.5135915731992
Doncaster7.6196214491863
Rotherham7.22075197826106
Sheffield6.9368528723385
4. East Anglia RHA6.6935780528957
Cambridgeshire7.0264728533057
Norfolk6.1376231553359
Suffolk6.9306121462656
5. North West Thames RHA7.5200551394117250
Bedfordshire6.7498918362142
Hertfordshire6.4435436484256
Barnet8.3236710311444
Brent/Harrow9.1213423392847
Ealing/Hammersmith/Hounslow8.3324130 404053
Hillingdon7.215688391153
Kensington and Chelsea/Westminster7.5175614491656
6. North-East Thames RHA7.6270681764820957
Essex6.3967749426153
Barking/Havering7.6266822622570
Camden/Islington7.6257111341237
City/Hackney/Newham/Tower Hamlets9.6586147535258
Enfield/Haringey7.8336521442655
Redbridge/Waltham Forest8.2326326543369
7. South-East Thames RHA7.1221681795920768
East Sussex7.1387733723577
Kent6.5917160507059
Bexley/Greenwich7.0235523582563
Bromley5.91051948948
Lambeth/Lewisham/Southwark8.7596654656882
8. South-West Thames RHA5.8129591246113968
Surrey4.9456650795282
West Sussex6.4316226552859
Croydon7.0175510341241
Kingston/Richmond5.7636138217107
Merton/Sutton/Wandsworth6.2305825513061
9. Wessex RHA6.9143611155213963
Dorset6.3307421562464
Hampshire7.3675355466756
Wiltshire6.6396435614273
Percentage

of all live

and still

births

Stillbirths Deaths 1st week Deaths 1st Month (28 day
Number Rate per 1,000 live and still births Number Rate per 1,000 live births Number Rate per 1,000 live births
Isle of Wight6.3789456683
10. Oxford RHA6.6134611205812862
Berkshire6.3426236563961
Buckinghamshire6.7407438764080
Northamptonshire7.2366528542956
Oxfordshire6.3163718432048
11. South Western RHA6.4171711275714465
Avon7.0567850755583
Cornwall/Isle of Scilly6.0175417571964
Devon6.2456634534063
Gloucestershire6.7286617431845
Somerset5.725989391252
12. West Midlands RHA7.9392693416439274
Hereford and Worcester6.5468332633569
Salop6.0206918672282
Staffordshire6.9818273808088
Warwickshire7.6255434783888
Birmingham9.3936477579067
Coventry8.4123216441849
Dudley7.0186410381038
Sandwell9.4317628743182
Solihull6.4106710711071
Walsall9.3247023723094
Wolverhampton10.2328420572880
13. Mersey RHA7.3161681536917881
Cheshire6.6587346635575
Liverpool8.5356039714378
St Helens/Knowsley7.8266124603382
Sefton7.0228715651669
Wirral6.72063299831105
14. North Western RHA8.2305672816631173
Lancashire8.010873997310476
Bolton8.4185616532066
Bury8.71782189520105
Manchester10.2284339624876
Oldham8.7186215551555
Rochdale9.9237021692375
Salford8.3176410401144
Stockport6.8238914601668
Tameside7.5176616661979
Trafford6.6115814781478
Wigan7.1258019662173