HC Deb 21 November 1978 vol 958 cc571-2W
Mr. Frank R. White

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the incidence of cerebral palsy amongst new-born babies; and what changes there have been in this figure over the past 20 years.

Mr. Moyle

Information on the incidence of cerebral palsy among the newborn is not available centrally. The condition is not normally observable at birth and is not notified as a congenital malformation.

The estimated numbers of discharges —including deaths—from hospital of in- fants under 1 year with cerebral spastic infantile paralysis, based on a one in 10 sample of all discharges from NHS hospitals in England and Wales from 1962 to 1975—the latest year for which information is available—are:

1962 … … … … … … 90
1963 … … … … … … 210
1964 … … … … … … 90
1965 … … … … … … 100
1966 … … … … … … 100
1967 … … … … … … 130
1968 … … … … … … 190
1969 … … … … … … 130
1970 … … … … … … 120
1971 … … … … … … 120
1972 … … … … … … 110
1973 … … … … … … 110
1974 … … … … … … 140
1975 … … … … … … 110

It should be noted that the number of discharges does not necessarily mean the number of persons discharged, since readmissions are not identified; also that since the figures above are all based on small numbers of sample cases they are subject to a high degree of uncertainty.