HC Deb 08 July 1966 vol 731 cc111-2W
Mr. Brooks

asked the Minister of Health if he will provide for each of the years 1961 to 1965 regional details of the number of live births of children suffering from spina bifida and hydrocephalus, and of the number of these who survived the first year of life.

Mr. K. Robinson

Information is available centrally for 1964 and 1965 only and is limited to conditions observed at birth. The numbers notified were as follows:

LIVEBORN INFANTS SUFFERING FROM SPINA BIFIDA OR HYDROCEPHALUS, OR BOTH

(England and Wales, with approximate figures for Standard Regions (1964) and revised Standard Regions (1965))

Standard Region 1964
Northern 96
East and West Ridings 120
North Western 232
North Midland 131
Midland 154
*Eastern 117
*London and South Eastern 218
Southern 85
South Western 114
Wales I (South-East) 83
Wales II (Remainder) 22
Total 1,372
Revised Standard Region 1965
North 103
Yorkshire and Humberside 149
North-West 248
East Midlands 108
West Midlands 174
East Anglia 36
South-East 407
South-West 98
Wales I (South-East) 91
Wales II (Remainder) 16
Total 1,430

Figures relate to live births occurring in each year.

* In this table for 1964 only, the Eastern region includes the whole of Essex and Hertfordshire administrative counties. This does not apply to the table of infant deaths below.

It is not know how many of these infants survived the first year of life, nor how many died from other causes, but the total number of deaths at ages under one year assigned to these causes in 1964 and 1965 were as follows:

Standard Region 1964
Northern 78
East and West Ridings 71
North Western 133
North Midland 55
Midland 106
Eastern 50
London and South Eastern 101
Southern 46
South Western 58
Wales I (South-East) 54
Wales II (Remainder) 11
Total 763
Revised Standard Region 1965
North 67
Yorkshire and Humberside 66
North-West 116
East Midlands 43
West Midlands 105
East Anglia 22
South-East 177
South-West 39
Wales I (South-East) 48
Wales II (Remainder) 17
Total 700