BritainCountries: Britain

Name

British Paediatric Surveillance Unit (BPSU)

Website

bpsu.inopsu.com

Year established

1986

Association

  • Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
  • Institute of Child Health, London
  • Health Protection Agency
  • Scottish Centre for Infectious and Environmental Health
    Faculty Paediatrics, Royal College of Physicians (Ireland)

Population under 15 years

12.8 million

General information

The BPSU was established as a facility in July 1986 to enable paediatricians to participate in the nationwide surveillance of infections and infection-related conditions, to promote the study of uncommon childhood disorders, and to provide a mechanism by which "new" diseases could be detected so that early investigation could take place.

The response rates for the cards from the 2,500 participating paediatricians vary, but stays at 90%, with the help of reminders.

Conditions studied

The BPSU has now completed sixty studies. These are:

Acute flaccid paralysis, acute rheumatic fever, adverse neonatal outcomes of delivery or labour in water, androgen insensitivity syndrome, biliary atresia, cerebral oedema and death following diabetic ketoacidosis, chemistry set poisoning, congenital brachial palsy, congenital cataract, congenital cytomeglavirus, congenital dislocation of the hip, congenital syphilis, congenital toxoplasmosis, Drowning and near drowning, encephalitis in children between the ages of two months and three years, fatal adverse drug reactions, fatal and severe reactions to food, galactosaemia, group b streptococcal disease, haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, haemorrhagic disease of the newborn, haemorrhagic shock encephalopathy syndrome, haemolytic uraemic syndrome, hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, herpes virus 6/7, higher order births, Insulin dependent diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease in under 20 year olds, invasive haemophilus influenzae infection, invasive fungal infection in VLBW infants, Insulin dependent diabetes in under fifteens, Internal abdominal injuries in childhood (non-accidental), kawasaki disease, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, long term parenteral nutrition, measles, mumps, rubella-meningococcal meningitis, medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, neonatal herpes, neonatal meningitis, neonatal necrotising enterocolitis, non-accidental poisoning/ Munchausen syndrome by proxy, non type 1 diabetes, pyrodoxine dependent seizures, Rett syndrome, severe complications of varicella, stroke in childhood, subdural hematoma in children two years of age, severe hyperbilirubinaemia, Severe visual impairment and blindness, subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, Thrombosis in children, thyrotoxicosis in childhood, Transient and permanent neonatal diabetes, Vitamin K deficiency bleeding, and X-linked anhydrotic ectodermal dysplasia.

Information about these studies has been included in previous annual reports, which are available at bpsu.inopsu.com

Current studies include:

  • HIV and AIDS
  • Progressive intellectual and neurological deterioration (PIND)
  • Congenital rubella
  • Medium chain acyl coA dehydrogenase deficiency
  • Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding
  • Fetomaternal Alloimmune Thrombocytopenia
  • Genital herpes in children under 11 years
  • Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension
  • Congenital Andrenal Hyperplasia

Contact

Mr Richard Lynn (Scientific Co-ordinator)
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Theobald's Road London WC1X 8SH

Tel: 00 44 207 323 7911 Fax: 00 44 207 323 7901
Email: helen.friend@rcpch.ac.uk