HC Deb 24 April 1972 vol 835 cc188-9W
Mr. Greville Janner

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many children under the age of five years have been treated in hospitals for aspirin poisoning during each of the years from 1951 to 1971, inclusive; and how many of such children died as a result of that poisoning.

Mr. Alison

Following is the information which is available on a comparable basis:

DEATHS, AND ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF HOSPITAL IN-PATIENT SPELLS, OF CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF FIVE YEARS: ASPIRIN AND SALICYLATE POISONING*; ENGLAND AND WALES
Year Spells in hospital† Deaths
1951 … … .. 8
1952 … … .. 9
1953 … … .. 4
1954 … … .. 3
1955 … … .. 4
1956 … … .. 1
1957 … … .. 6
1958 … … 750 8
1959 … … 1,060 6
1960 … … 1,280 12
1961 … … 1,780 8
1962 … … 1,970 8
1963 … … 3,200 6
1964 … … 4,430 13
1965 … … 4,870 8
1966 … … 4,680 2
1967 … … 5,560 6
1968 … … 5,760 9
1969 … … 6,850 4
1970 … … .. 5
1971 … … .. 4
(provisional)
* International Classification of Diseases: N965.1.
† Estimated total based on 10 per cent. sample (Hospital In-Patient Inquiry).