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Written question asked by Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative) on Tuesday, 24 April 2012, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 30 April 2012. It was answered by Anne Milton (Conservative) on Monday, 30 April 2012 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Congenital Abnormalities

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many live births occurred of infants with (a) spina bifida, (b) hydrocephalus and (c) other neural tube defects in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.
Answer

These data are not held centrally by the Department, but are collected and published by the British Isles Network of Congenital Anomaly Registers (BINOCAR).The following information gives the numbers of live born babies with neural tube disorders and hydrocephalus in the English registers for 2001-10.These data are for the following five English regional congenital anomaly registers:"Berkshire and Buckinghamshire (CAROBB);""East Midlands and South Yorkshire (EMSYCAR);""Northern region (NorCAS);""South West region (SWCAR), and""Wessex (WANDA)."They cover 32% of the births in England. All registers except SWCAR provided data for all years; SWCAR have provided data for 2005-10.There are two other registers in England that have not yet provided data to BINOCAR but are developing the processes to be able to shortly. The registers therefore cover 49% of the births in England but BINOCAR currently only has data for 32% of births.

Spina bifida
Anomaly Number of cases (live births)
Spina Bifida 2001 11
2002 19
2003 18
2004 21
2005 22
2006 26
2007 24
2008 34
2009 34
2010 40
Hydrocephalus
Anomaly Number of cases (Live births)
Hydrocephalus 2001 35
2002 39
2003 23
2004 27
2005 50
2006 69
2007 65
2008 72
2009 61
2010 70
Other neural tube defects
Anomaly Number of cases (Live births)
Anencephalus and similar 2001 ¹—
2002 ¹—
2003 ¹—
2004 ¹—
2005 7
2006 7
2007 8
2008 10
2009 6
2010 ¹—
Encephalocele 2001 ¹—
2002 ¹—
2003 5
2004 7
2005 ¹—
2006 ¹—
2007 5
2008 ¹—
2009 7
2010 6
¹ Numbers have been suppressed where there were less than five cases recorded

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
105896; 543 c1292-3W
Session
2010-12
Transferred
Yes
Subjects
Hydrocephalus Neural tube defects
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk12050176000162