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

Hampstead 1918

Report for the year 1918 of the Medical Officer of Health

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Year.Deaths of Infants under 1 year of age.Deaths of Children under 5 years of age.
No.Rate per 1000 births.No.Rate per 1000 children born in the year and in preceding four years.
1908976912217.3
1909997414821.3
1910816013219.2
19111058215222.7
1912796213119.8
1913916914922.7
1914917212920.0
19151017614422.2
191673629414.7
1917908012219.6
1918697710918.8

Table: Deaths among Legitimate and Illegitimate Infants. The following comparative tables indicate the great disproportion in the deaths of legitimate and illegitimate infants:—

Deaths among Legitimate and Illegitimate Infants. The following comparative tables indicate the great disproportion in the deaths of legitimate and illegitimate infants:—

Year.Legitimate Infants.Death rate per 1000 births.Illegitimate Infants.Death-rate per 1000 births
Births.Deaths.Births.Deaths.
19081,32687662910345
19091,239887143n256
19101,23371573610278
19111,23994763711297
19121,20768567411149
19131,25273587318246
19141,21877635514254
19151,24682658119234
19161,0886559768105
19171,05274707116225
191879756709813132

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In spite of the special attention now being given to all illegitimate
births which come under our notice, it will be seen that the deathrate
among these children is very high. In view of the increase in the
number of illegitimate children in recent years, it is important that all
possible steps should be taken to reduce this high death-rate. For the
year under review the illegitimate births represented a rate of no less
than 109 per 1,000 births, or, broadly speaking, one in every ten.