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
Enfield 1943
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Enfield]
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It is said that War is always associated with the lowering of
social and moral standards with consequent increase in illegitimacy,
venereal disease and tuberculosis.
Illegitimacy.
It will be noted that there were 77 illegitimate births to Enfield
residents last year which compared with 70 for 1943, 58 in 1938 and
52 in 1939. In view of the fact that the number of births have
geneially increased it would appear that there has been no gross
increase in illegitimacy in Enfield as a result of the War.
For many years it has been noted that illegitimacy is associated
with a high infantile mortality rate, a rate usually twice as high as
that for legitimate infants.
During the past years there has been a tendency for these two
rates to approximate, suggesting that the additional care given to
illegitimate children has resulted in their improved welfare and
lowered mortality rate. It is interesting therefore to compare
the rates for the past ten years in Enfield.
TABLE I.
| Year | Live | Births | Infantile | Deaths | Death | Rates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legitimate | Illegitimate | Legitimate | Illegitimate | Legitimate | Illegitimate | |
| 1934 | 1,057 | 29 | 44 | 3 | 41.62 | 103.44 |
| 1935 | 1,183 | 37 | 57 | 4 | 48.18 | 108.10 |
| 1936 | 1,330 | 40 | 82 | 4 | 61.65 | 100.00 |
| 1937 | 1,481 | 42 | 63 | 4 | 42.53 | 95.21 |
| 1938 | 1,678 | 58 | 74 | 14 | 44.10 | 241.37 |
| 1939 | 1,704 | 52 | 57 | 4 | 33.78 | 76.92 |
| 1940 | 1,558 | 49 | 62 | 5 | 40.62 | 102.04 |
| 1941 | 1,390 | 73 | 50 | 3 | 37.99 | 40.54 |
| 1942 | 1,704 | 70 | 73 | 10 | 42.25 | 142.85 |
| 1943 | 1,831 | 77 | 86 | 5 | 46.96 | 64.93 |
With the exception of 1941 there has been a closer approximation
between the rates for 1943 in Enfield than in any other
of the recorded ten years. What inference are we to draw from
the above table ?—in the first place that although there are a sufficient
number of illegitimate babies born in a year to warrant concern
the figures do not show a gross increase over pre-war years. In the
second place that the mortality rate of illegitimate children has