HC Deb 21 March 1989 vol 149 c573W
Mr. Nicholas Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the current incidence of Down's syndroile; and what it was(a) 10 years and (b) 20 years ago.

66. Mr. Alton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the incidence of Down's syndrome in newborn infants in(a) the latest year for which figures are available, (b) 10 years previously and (c) 20 years previously.

Mr. Freeman

The information is shown in the table.

Figures are derived from a voluntary system of notification which collects information on cases reported at birth or up to seven days therafter. It is, therefore, likely to be an incomplete measure of the total number of babies affected.

Number of babies born with Down's syndrome and rate per 10,000 total and live births in England and Wales for 1967, 1977 and 1987
All births Live births
Year Number Rate Number Rate
1967 613 7.3 594 7.1
1977 425 7.4 413 6.5
1987 450 6.6 443 7.3

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list those hospitals which provide specialist services for the therapeutic and remedial treatment of Down's syndrome;

(2) what recent steps have been taken by his Department to ensure that therapeutic as well as remedial treatment is available for Down's syndrome.

Mr. Freeman

No information is available centrally about hospitals providing such specialist services and no action has been taken by the Department to make treatment available specifically for Down's syndrome. Health care and treatment for people with a mental handicap and associated physical conditions caused by Down's syndrome is provided by the mental handicap and generic services in hospitals and in the community, including primary care services. When specialist care or treatment is required for an acute or chronic condition referral is arranged in the usual way. The Department has been funding research on Down's syndrome, and other departmentally-funded research in the field of mental handicap is also relevant to people with Down's syndrome.

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