§ Mr. CranTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will make available figures comparing the number of babies suffering from congenital abnormalities born to girls under 16 years of age at the date of delivery with those born to women between the ages of 18 and 35 years.
§ Mrs. CurrieThe information is shown in the table for the latest years available. Figures are derived from a voluntary system of notification of congenital malformations observed at birth or up to seven days after birth. They are therefore likely to be an incomplete measure of the total number of affected babies.
Number of babies notified as being born with congenital malformations by age of mother, England and Wales, 1978–87 Number of babies Year of notification Age of mother under 16 years Age of mother 18-35 years 1978 153 11,563 1979 153 12,282 1980 118 12,886 1981 117 12,226 1982 115 11,987 1983 127 12,560 1984 139 12,545 1985 121 11,902 1986 99 11,747 1987 116 12,212