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 1948
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Battersea Borough]
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The number of deaths and infant deaths registered in each quartet of the year is set out in the following table, in which, for convenience the corresponding figures for births have also been inserted.
| Quarter. | Births (live). | Infant Deaths (under 1 year). | All Deaths. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Percent. of Total. | No. | Per cent. of Total. | No. | Per cent of Total. | |
| 1 | 559 | 24.9 | 30 | 42.3 | 351 | 26.7 |
| 2 | 518 | 23.0 | 15 | 21.1 | 271 | 20.6 |
| 3 | 567 | 25.2 | 9 | 12.7 | 304 | 23.2 |
| 4 | 604 | 26.9 | 17 | 23.9 | 388 | 29.5 |
| Total | 2,248 . | 100.0 | 71 | 100.0 | 1,314 | 100.0 |
Deaths of Illegitimate Infants.
The death rate amongst illegitimate children during 1948 was
44.30 per 1,000 births, as compared with 45.98 in 1947, 87.91 in 1946,
37.04 in 1945, and 74.83 in 1944. The corresponding death rate of
legitimate children in 1948 was 30.62, the ratio of mortality rate of
illegitimate infants to that of legitimate being 144 to 100.
Maternal Mortality.
During 1948, there were 3 deaths of women from diseases or
accidents of child-birth, which is equivalent to a fatality rate of 1.00 per
1,000 births (live and still), as compared with 2 deaths and a fatality
rate of 0.73 in 1947.
The rate for England and Wales in 1948 was 1.02.
| Year | Population | Live Birth Rate | Death Rate | Maternal Death Rate | Infant Mortality Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | b 139,200 | 14.4 | 12.8 | 2.03 | 61.7 |
| d 131,600 | |||||
| 1940 | 108,380 | 16.6 | 18.4 | 1.77 | 41.3 |
| 1941 | 82,100 | 15.7 | 18.3 | 1.88 | 63.4 |
| 1942 | 85,940 | 18.3 | 14.9 | 1.24 | 53.5 |
| 1943 | 89,160 | 18.3 | 15.8 | 0.0 | 53.9 |
| 1944 | 85,380 | 19.0 | 17.7 | 1.22 | 49.8 |
| 1945 | 90,420 | 17.6 | 13.8 | 1.23 | 40.8 |
| 1946 | 108,610 | 23.4 | 13.5 | 1.54 | 42.4 |
| 1947 | 114,960 | 23.2 | 12.6 | 0.73 | 31.5 |
| 1948 | 116,500 | 19.3 | 11.3 | 1.00 | 31.6 |
B—Population as estimated for purpose of Birth rate.
D— „ „ „ Death rate.