Newcastle University study reveals baby survival prospects

Mar 11 2010 by Helen Rae, The Journal

SURVIVAL prospects of babies born with a range of abnormalities have been revealed by pioneering research in the North East.

Parents and medical professionals are set to benefit from a comprehensive study spearheaded by Newcastle University, which focuses on the survival of children born with a range of congenital anomalies.

The Northern Congenital Abnormality Register is the longest running of its type in the country and the data provided will be used internationally.

Using data held by the Regional Maternity Survey Office (RMSO) – collected over almost 20 years – it shows the chances of children born with at least one congenital anomaly living up to the age of 20 were as high as 85%.

More specifically, for those born with nervous system defects there was a 66% chance, 89% in cases of cardiovascular problems, and 93% and 83% for urinary and digestive system anomalies respectively.

The register assessed nearly 14,000 congenital anomaly cases between 1985 and 2003 to produce the findings.

RMSO academic director Dr Judith Rankin, of Newcastle University, said: “This hugely important piece of work has only been possible because of the longevity of our data collection.

“We have been able to assess various different types of abnormalities and this underlines the immense value of having an anomaly register.

“The findings have been extremely interesting and will be of great use to parents of children with these conditions, helping them to understand what their impact may be, as well as to midwives and doctors counselling prospective parents whose babies have had anomalies detected before birth.