View report page

Compared with the previous year, fewer notifications were
received during 1967 relating to malformations of the urogenital
system and more in respect of limb defects. Other malformations
showed no significant variation on the 1966 figures.
Anencephaly—Of all the malformations recorded, most research
has been carried out in respect of anencephaly perhaps because this
is a condition which is easily and reliably identified. Statistics with
regard to this defect, therefore, tend to reflect the true position.
In Greenwich, the rate for 1,000 total notified births was 3.01
compared with a figure of 1.43 for England and Wales and 1.05
for the South East Region.
Mongolism—This is another reasonably easily identified defect
with a local rate of 2.18 per 1,000 total births. Rates for England
and Wales and the South East Region are 0.71 and 0.77
respectively.
"At Risk" Register
Certain familiar or acquired factors in pre-natal, perinatal or
post-natal life are now established as giving rise to greater than
average risks of a baby having or developing mental or physical
abnormalities.
In pursuance of the well established scheme to ensure early
detection of mental or physical abnormalities, infants liable to
develop such handicaps were reviewed regularly on the "At Risk"
Register. Such infants were identified from the notifications of
discharge of a mother from a maternity unit or the care of a
midwife.
After a variable time a child who was developing normally was
removed from the Register and any child who was found to have
an abnormality was transferred to the Handicapped Register.
During 1967 approximately one-third of the children born to