The incidence of duchenne muscular dystrophy in New South Wales and the Australian capital territory

A study was carried out during 1977-8 to determine the incidence of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. A total of 98 affected males born in the period from 1960 to 1971 inclusive were ascertained, representing an incidence rate of 18.4 per 100,000 liveborn males. The distribution of familial and isolated cases shows that 63% of those cases were isolated. A further 28% had one or more affected brothers. There were only 7 cases who had an affected male relative in a previous generation. The 98 cases were divided also into those who were ‘theoretically preventable’ by genetic counselling and those who were not. The incidence of ‘theoretically preventable’ cases born between 1960 and 1971 was 2.6 per 100,000 liveborn males. The potential of a screening programme of all males at birth for reducing the incidence rate is compared with the incidence rate if all ‘theoretically preventable’ cases had not been born.