Rare disease

News

Dr Shamez Ladhani appointed as Chair of the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit

20 August 2018

Shamez will take over from Dr Richard Reading in September. The BPSU office, study teams, and Scientific Committee extend their gratitude to Richard for his astute leadership over the past five years.

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BPSU study - Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Surveillance of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) commenced in October 2018. The study aims to determine the incidence of FAS in the UK and Ireland; investigate which services are accessed by babies and children affected by the condition; and raise awareness about FAS among clinical practitioners. Th...

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BPSU - Annual reports

The British Paediatric Surveillance Unit (BPSU) has published its first Five-Year Report, bringing together the Unit's achievements and impact between 2021 and 2025. The report showcases how national surveillance of rare childhood conditions has informed research, policy and clinical care across the...

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BPSU study - Acute severe poisonings

Commencing in July 2018, this surveillance study aims to determine the incidence of accidental poisoning; identify trends in severe poisonings that might inform public health interventions; describe the demographics of presenting populations; and calculate the severity of the poisoning event as dete...

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BPSU study - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in transition between children’s services and adult services (CATCh-uS)

Surveillance of children and adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in transition between children’s services and adult services (CATCh-uS) focused on what happens to young people with ADHD when they are too old to stay with children’s services. Surveillance was also run in...

Community child health

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BPSU study - Acute rheumatic fever

Surveillance of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) in children and young people aged 16 years and younger concluded in May 2016. The study is being led by Dr Mary Salama of Birmingham Children's Hospital, winner of the Sir Peter Tizard Bursary. The study group are yet to publish their findings.

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BPSU study - Type 2 diabetes

Surveillance of type 2 diabetes in children and young people less than 17 years of age concluded in April 2016. This is a repeat of study from 2005 and the research team hope to identify the incidence of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes in children and young people and understand how this has changed...

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BPSU study - Enterovirus and parechovirus meningitis

Surveillance of enterovirus and parechovirus meningitis in infants less than 90 days of age concluded in July 2015. The study team hope to understand the clinical burden of the condition. A paper has now been published in Archives of Disease in Childhood - see below link to the abstract.

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BPSU study - Neonatal exchange blood transfusion (EBT)

Surveillance of neonatal exchange blood transfusion (EBT) in infants of 28 days of age or under in the United Kingdom and Ireland concluded in October 2015. The study aims to ascertain the current incidence and complication rates of EBT, as well as the practical difficulties of performing an EBT. Th...

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BPSU study - Group B streptococcal disease (GBS)

Surveillance of Group B streptococcal (GBS) disease in British and Irish infants less than 90 days of age concluded in April 2015. Knowledge of the current epidemiology in this age group is needed to assess the impact of current guidelines and provide baseline information for a GBS vaccine programme...