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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28 STATISTICS OF CHILDHOOD.
The principal causes of death were "premature birth" and "congenital defects," to which
were ascribed 104 deaths during 1919-20. Such deaths formed a little more than 2 per cent,
of the total births within the Borough, the proportion during 1914-18 having been 1.6 per cent.
Special Areas.—The six Areas mentioned in Table XXI., Appendix, possess marked
characteristics and have heretofore, with the exception of "Queen's Park," had rates of
infantile mortality notably in excess of the rate obtained by the exclusion of the data for those
Areas from the data for the Borough as a whole. In five of those Areas notable reductions
in mortality have to be recorded during 1919-20, the "Alfred Road" Area alone not sharing that
reduction. The differences between the mean rates for the two periods 1914-18 and 1919-20
are clearly shown by the Index Numbers given below.
Infantile Mortality. Index Numbers for 1919-20. (Means, 1914-18=100.)
| Whole Borough | "Hall Park" | "North Wharf" | "Clarendon Street" | "Alfred Road" | "Amberley Road" | "Queen's Park | Combined Areas | Rest of Borough |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77 | 48 | 59 | 41 | 96 | 72 | 71 | 85 | 77 |
The reductions observed in "Hall Park" (52 per cent.) and in "Clarendon Street" (59 per
cent.) are very striking and are worthy of a more detailed examination than can be given on
this occasion. Complete tabulations by sex-age distribution and causes of death have been
prepared which are not given here for economy's sake. From those tabulations the appended
short statement has been compiled.
Infantile Mortality. At Selected Ages.
| 0-1 | 1-3 | 0-3 | 3-6 | 6-9 | 9-12 | |
| 29.7 | 28.1 | 57.9 | 33.1 | 22.6 | 16.7 | |
| 1919-20 | 32.7 | 15.8 | 48.4 | 13.8 | 13.8 | 11.9 |
| 39.4 | 20.4 | 59.9 | 12.8 | 12.3 | 10.2 | |
| 1919-20 | 38.3 | 18.8 | 56.7 | 13.5 | 7.9 | 3. |
Although there was in the Combined Areas an increased mortality at ages under one
month, the mortality for the first three months decreased some 17 per cent, the decrease in the
rest of the Borough being rather more than 5 per cent. only. In the second three months the
reduction in mortality in the Combined Areas was approximately 59 per cent., while in the
rest of the Borough there was an increase of close on 6 per cent.
There were notable decreases in the mortality due to diarrhceal diseases, tubercular diseases
syphilis and respiratory diseases (see below).
Infantile Mortality : Selected Causes.
| "Diarrhoea" | "Developmental" | "Tuberculosis" | "Syphilis" | "Respiratory'' | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36.2 | 34.3 | 6.5 | 3.1 | 32.8 | |
| 1919-20 | 17.6 | 33.5 | 3.0 | 0.6 | 18.8 |
| 32.6 | 37.5 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 16.8 | |
| 1919-20 | 15.6 | 35.9 | 0.4 | 3.1 | 12.5 |
Illegitimates.—Of the 224 illegitimate children born during 1919, 35 died in their first year; equivalent to a mortality ot 156 per 1,000 births. In 1920 the mortality rose to 218 per 1,000 births. For the two years the figures are :—
| 467 : | 236: | 231 | |||
| 88: | „ | 56: | „ | 32 |
the mortality rate being 188. During 1909-13 the rate was 266, and that during 1914-18, 259.
There have been, therefore, reductions in this rate since 1909-13 amounting to 3 per cent, in
1914-18, and 39 per cent, during 1919-20. Among legitimate children the mortality rates have