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 1919

Report for the year 1919 of the Medical Officer of Health

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Table: Death rate among children under five years of age. The latter rate is calculated upon a period of five years:—

Death rate among children under five years of age. The latter rate is calculated upon a period of five years:—

Deaths of Infants under 1 year of age.Deaths of Children under 5 years of age.
Year.No.Rate per 1000 births.No.Rate per 1000 children born in the year and in preceding tour years.
1908976912217.3
1909997414821.3
1910816013219.2
19111058215222.7
1912796213119.8
1913916914922.7
1914917212920.0
19151017614422.2
191673629414.7
1917908012219.6
1918697710918.8
1919968312021.2

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
19091,23988714311256
19101,23371573610278
19111,23994763711297
19121,20768667411149
19131,25273587318246
19141,21877.635511254
19151,24682658119234
19161,0886559768105
19171,05274707116225
191879756709813132
19191,039777411719162

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It will be observed that the death-rate among illegitimate children
is very high. In calculating this rate, only those infants definitely
known to be illegitimate have been deemed to be such. All foundlings
and babies found dead have been counted as legitimate. For the year
under review the births of illegitimate infants represented a rate of
no less than 101 per 1,000 births, or, broadly speaking, one in every ten,