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
Paddington 1920
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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STATISTICS OF CHILDHOOD 27
The changes in the rates observed in the Wards are set out below. In 1919 the highest
mortality (132) was recorded in Westbourne Ward and in 1920 in Lancaster Gate, East, Ward
(126). The reduction in the rates recorded in Church Ward are noteworthy. The measures
of the changes are given as Index Numbers in Table II., Appendix.
Mortality Rates : Persons. Per 1,000 Births, Persons.
| Queen's Park | Harrow Road | Maida Vale | West-bourne | Church | Lancaster Gate | Hyde Park | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West | Bast | |||||||
| 1909-13 | 99 | 87 | 92 | 116 | 141 | 68 | 61 | 91 |
| 1914-18 | 95 | 89 | 100 | 118 | 150 | 73 | 59 | 93 |
| 1919 | 95 | 81 | 78 | 132 | 101 | 13 | 78 | 59 |
| 1920 | 58 | 57 | 85 | 90 | 94 | 51 | 126 | 65 |
On comparing the mean mortality rates for 1914-18 and 1919-20 in sex-age-groups (see
below) it would appear that the reduction in mortality during the second period was effected—
as regards males—between the ages of three and twelve months—and as regards females—
Mortality Rates. Per 1,000 Births, corrected.
| Males | Females | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age at Death. | 1914-18 | 1919-20 | 1919 | 1920 | 1914-18 | 1919-20 | 1919 | 1920 |
| Under 1 day | 12.7 | 13.8 | 16.9 | 11.7 | 9.8 | 12.3 | 11.4 | 12.9 |
| „ 1 week | 24.1 | 27.6 | 29.6 | 26.3 | 20.5 | 22.0 | 20.2 | 23.3 |
| „ 1 month | 41.4 | 40.7 | 51.6 | 33.6 | 32.9 | 32.5 | 21.1 | 34.4 |
| 0-3 months | 65.8 | 62.0 | 75.4 | 53.1 | 52.4 | 46.3 | 45.7 | 46.7 |
| 3-6 „ | 21.2 | 17.5 | 20.3 | 15.7 | 17.2 | 9.4 | 13.2 | 6.7 |
| 6-9 „ | 16.6 | 9.7 | 8.4 | 10.6 | 14.3 | 9.4 | 6.1 | 11.6 |
| 9-12 „ | 16.1 | 5.3 | 5.0 | 5.6 | 14.3 | 6.1 | 7.9 | 4.9 |
even before the third month of life. The rates recorded in the separate ages are two irregular
to permit any reliable conclusions.
The deaths at ages under one year during the two years are tabulated by causes in Tables
XX. and XXa, Appendix. The changes in mortality from the five groups of diseases named
in those tables are indicated below.
Mortality Rates. Per 1,000 Births, corrected.
| Males | Females | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914-18 | 1919-20 | 1919 | 1920 | 1914-18 | 1919-20 | 1919 | 1920 | |
| Group I. | 8.9 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 3.3 | 9.1 | 3.6 | — | 6.1 |
| „ II. | 23.2 | 19.2 | 22.8 | 16.7 | 19.5 | 13.0 | 15.8 | 11.0 |
| „ III. | 3.6 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.6 |
| „ IV. | 41.8 | 42.1 | 50.0 | 36.9 | 32.4 | 28.2 | 28.1 | 28.2 |
| „ V. | 31.7 | 23.9 | 27.1 | 21.8 | 25.1 | 17.0 | 18.4 | 15.9 |
| Other Causes | 10.6 | 5.7 | 6.7 | 8.5 | 8.6 | 9.6 | 7.9 | |
Hopeless Births.*—In 1919 64 births (males 34, females 30) were deemed to be of this
category, the total rising to 102 (60 males, 42 females) in 1920. For the two years the total
was 166, equal to 3.1 per cent, of the births registered within the Borough, as compared with
percentages of 3.2 and 2.7 recorded during 1909-13 and 1914-18 respectively. It is curious that
the proportion of these births after a fall during the war period should rise again, especially
when one considers the great reduction in the total infantile mortality. Of the 166 deaths
during 1919-20, 113 (2.1 per cent.) occurred during the first week of life, 36 between the
seventh and twenty-eighth days and 17 at ages 4-6 weeks. The comparison with the experience
of 1914-18 is given below.
Hopeless Isirths. Numbers and Percentages of Births Registered Locally.
| Under One Day | During 1st week | Aged 1-4 weeks | Aged 4-6 weeks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914-18 | 91 (0.8) | 184 (1.6) | 92 (0.8) | 26 (0.2) |
| 1919-20 | 62 (1.1) | 113 (2.1) | 36 (0.6) | 17 (0.3) |
*Applied to infants whose deaths are registered before or simultaneously with their births. In some instances
the return of the child's death is the first intimation of the fact of its birth.