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
Lewisham 1954
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham Borough]
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| Cause of death | Sex | Under 1 day | 1-6 days | 1 week | 2 weeks | 3 weeks | Total under 4 wks. | 1-2 mths. | 3-5 mths. | 6-8 mths. | 9-11 mths. | Total 1-11 mths. | Total under 1 yr. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuberculosis, respiratory | M | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| F | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Pneumonia | M | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | 5 | 9 |
| h | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | 2 | - | - | - | •- | - | 2 | |
| Bronchitis | M | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 |
| F | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 3 | 3 | |
| Gastro-enteritis diarrhoea | M | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7 | - | - | - | 2 | 2 |
| F | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Congenital malformation | M | 2 | 4 | - | - | 1 | 7 | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | |
| F | - | 2 | - | - | - | 2 | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | 3 | |
| Injury at birth | M | 1 | 1 | - | — | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| F | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Postnatal asphyxia and atelectasis | M | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| F | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | 4 | |
| Prematurity immaturity | M | 10 | 2 | - | - | - | 12 | - | - | - | - | - | 12 |
| F | 2 | 1 | " | - | - | 3 | - | " | - | - | - | 3 | |
| Other diseases of early infancy | M | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | 2 | ||
| F | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| All other causes | M | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | - | 2 | 6 | |
| F | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | 3 | - | - | 3 | 4 | |
| TOTALS | M | 15 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 30 | 8 | 4 | 1 1 | 14 | 44 | ||
| F | 4 | 6 | - | 1 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 22 | ||
| GRAND TOTAL | 19 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 42 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 24 | 66 | |
There were no deaths in the following groups : tuberculosis (other
forms), syphilis, typhoid and paratyphoid fevers, diphtheria, whoopingcough,
meningococcal infection, measles, diseases of ear and mastoid
antrum, influenza, gastritis and duodenitis, hernia, intestinal obstruction,
congenital debility and other ill defined diseases of early infancy,
convulsions and lack of care of newborn.
Twenty-four infants thus died between the ages of one month
and one year compared with 20 in the previous year. Nine of the
24 deaths were from pneumonia or bronchitis, 4 from gastro-enteritis
or diarrhoea (none in the previous year), two from congenital
malformations, one from respiratory tuberculosis and 8 from a variety
of other and relatively rare causes. On the face of it therefore it seems
that some of these might be regarded as being in preventable categories.