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
Ealing 1925
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ealing]
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Table III gives the principal causes of death amongst infants
under one year of age during 1925, compared with the previous
seven years. It is interesting to note that of the 54 deaths, as
many as 27, or a half, were due to defects at birth, namely, premature
birth, congenital defects and atrophy, debility and marasmus.
Diarrhoea accounted for only one death, infectious disease for
three, and pneumonia and bronchitis for nine deaths.
In Table IIIa, which gives the causes of death and the ages,
it is seen that of the total deaths, 24 occurred when under a week
old and 32 when under four weeks old, which latter figures give
a Neo-natal death-rate of 33 per 1,000 births.
TABLE III.
Causes of Infant Deaths, 1917 to 1925.
| 1918 | 1919 | 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diarrhoeal Diseases | 14 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| Premature Birth | 12 | 13 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 11 | 7 | 9 |
| Congenital Defects | — | 6 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 10 |
| Want of Breast Milk (Starvation) | — | — | — | — | - | — | — | — |
| Atrophy, Debility, Marasmus | 11 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 8 |
| Tuberculous Disease | — | 3 | 3 | — | 2 | 1 | 3 | — |
| Syphilis | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | 1 |
| Rickets | — | — | — | _ | _ | _ | — | — |
| Meningitis (not Tuberculous) | - | 2 | — | 1 | - | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Convulsions | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — |
| Bronchitis | 5 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 4 |
| Pneumonia (all forms) | 6 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 5 |
| Gastritis | — | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — |
| Common Infectious Diseases | 7 | 1 | — | 7 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Other Causes | 13 | 17 | 7 | 9 | 15 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| Totals | 70 | 67 | 64 | 72 | 57 | 62 | 46 | 54 |