DEFECTS IN CHILDREN

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29766, 8 March 1962, Page 8

DEFECTS IN CHILDREN

Register To Be Compiled

A register of the congenital defects in children bo--in Chrirtoburch since 1963 is to be compiled by the research committee of the Cantertxarv faculty of the College of General Pract.tionert.

The register will give a ‘‘base line” against which the frequency of these defects at future dates mar be compared. to try to detect ar.v chance in their incidence It is also hoped to eetabiisfi correlations between the occurrence of certain defec” and the sickness history of the mother.

The protect is experience. - tal. It is hoped that the onesUonnaire from which the Obristchurch register wiU be compiled will be suitably amended in the Veht of experience and used to compile a general register for New Zealand.

The details of the questionnaire are now being worked otrt by ‘he research commi’tee. The questionnaire will only be sent to genera) practitioners. as the committee feels that to extend it to specialists or hospitals would risk duplication

Regis’ers similar to that now to be compiled for Christchurch are in operation in Britain. The first was established about 18 months ago The chairman of the committee said yesterdav that the chief reason for the establishment of the register was the growling awareness of the effect on the unborn child of virus diseases suffered by the mother during pregnancy, particularly in the early months Another purpose was to detect any increase in the number of congenital deformation® resulting from mutations of the germ-cells, especially through atomic fall-out.