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 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham Borough]
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9
Infant mortality
Infant deaths 53
Male Female Total
Legitimate 28 19 47
Illegitimate 5 1 6
Total 33 20 53
Rates : 1. All infants per thousand livebirths 16.97
2. Legitimate infants per thousand legitimate
livebirths 15.6
3. Illegitimate infants per thousand illegitimate
livebirths 51.7
4. Male infants per thousand male livebirths 20.7
5. Female infants per thousand female livebirths 13.1
Neonatal deaths (under 4 weeks of age) 34
Neonatal death rates :—
Males, per 1,000 male livebirths 12.5
Females, per 1,000 female livebirths 9.2
All infants, per 1,000 livebirths 10.9
Reproductive wastage :—
Stillbirths plus infant deaths 10.9
Rates :—
Males per 1,000 live and still male births 35.2
Females per 1,000 live and still female births 33.3
All infants per 1,000 live and stillbirths 34.3
Maternal deaths
Maternal deaths 3
Maternal mortality rate per thousand live and stillbirths 0.9
Other special causes of death
Measles
Whooping cough 1
Gastroenteritis (infants)
Motor vehicle accidents 19
Suicide 20
Tuberculosis (all forms) 26
Other respiratory (Code Nos. 22-25) 316
Cancer (Code Nos. 10-15) 529
Heart and circulation diseases (Code Nos. 17-21) 1,205
Comparative statistics for the year 1955
Table 1
| Birth rate | Death rate (per 1,000 population) (adjusted) | Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 livebirths) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live births (adjusted) | Still births | |||
| Lewisham | 13.0 | 17.6 | 10.8 | 17.0 |
| England and Wales | 15.0 | 23.1 | 11.7 | 24.9 |
| London Administrative County | 13.1 | 20.2 | 11.4 | 23.3 |