§ Mrs. Jane KennedyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many babies were born prematurely in the United Kingdom in the last two years; and how many of these(a) contracted advanced retinopathy, (b) received treatment for advanced retinopathy in the United Kingdom, (c) received treatment for advanced retinopathy outside the United Kingdom and (d) responded to such treatment.
§ Mr. Sackville[holding answer 18 January 1993]: This information is not available in the form requested.
Babies who are very premature are prone to a condition known as retinopathy of prematurity, the most severe cases tending to occur in babies weighing less than 1,500 g or of 31 weeks gestation or less. In 1990 in England and Wales, the latest year for which figures are available, there were 4,827 babies of less than 1,500 g who survived the first year of life. The number affected by retinopathy of prematurity is not known, though research studies which have been carried out suggest that more than half of those weighing less than 1,500 g experience some form of retinopathy. In most cases of retinopathy of prematurity, the condition improves without recourse to treatment.
Details of the number of low birthweight babies receiving treatment for severe retinopathy either in this country or overseas are not collected centrally; nor is information collected centrally on the outcome of such treatment.
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§ Mrs. Jane KennedyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans her Department has to sponsor or conduct research into the cause and treatment of advanced retinopathy in premature babies.
§ Mr. Sackville[holding answer 18 January 1993]: The British Association of Perinatal Medicine and the College of Ophthalmologists have produced joint professional guidelines on the care of retinopathy of prematurity. The Department is currently discussing with the professional bodies concerned what further research studies are required to find out the extent to which this knowledge is being applied in practice.