London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Battersea 1911
[Report on the health of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea for the year 1911]
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The next table shows the incidence of mortality from the chief diseases of infancy in the first and second trimesters and the last six months of the first year of life respectively:—
| Certified Causes of Death. | Months· 0-3. | Months· 3-6. | Months. 6-12. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diarrhoea | 47 | 55 | 84 | 186 |
| Prematurity | 64 | — | — | 64 |
| Marasmus and debility | 45 | 7 | 10 | 62 |
| Developmental disease | 25 | 2 | 2 | 29 |
| Bronchitis | 18 | 13 | 14 | 45 |
| Pneumonia | 12 | 11 | 30 | 53 |
| Convulsions | 5 | 2 | 7 | |
| Suffocation | — | — | — | _ |
| Measles | 2 | 2 | 14 | 18 |
| Whooping cough | 6 | 5 | 11 | 22 |
| Tuberculosis | 2 | 5 | 9 | 16 |
| Meningitis | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Miscellaneous | 22 | 5 | 12 | 39 |
| 249 | 108 | 189 | 546 |
From the above table it will be noted (a) that the mortality is
heaviest in the first three months of life: (b) that three groups of
diseases between them account for 341 (i·e·, 62·6%) of the total
deaths of infants during 1911, viz·:—Diarrhoea, prematurity, and
respiratory diseases.
Looking more in detail into these figures it will be seen that
of the 546 infant deaths, 186 (i·e·, 34 per cent·) were due to diarrhoeal
disease, the result mainly of the unfavourable climatic conditions
prevailing during the summer of 1911.
The deaths from Congenital and developmental diseases were
somewhat higher (17 per cent·) than in the preceding year.
The respiratory group show a slight increase as compared
with 1910.
Preventive Measures,
The causes responsible for these 546 infants' deaths were
enquired into by the Health Department' of the Council· The
chief preventive measures carried out by the Council in relation
to infant mortality may be classified under the following heads.
1· Notification of Births Act.
2· Health Visitors.
3· Milk Depot.