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
Wood Green 1953
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wood Green]
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population and a corrected death rate of 9.24. This is a decrease of
85 from the total of the previous year, when the death rate was 11.5.
Of the total of 517 deaths, no fewer than 330 occurred at ages
over 65. Ninety-nine deaths occurred at ages over 80 and 12 at ages
over 90.
INQUESTS
Twenty inquests were held following the deaths of Wood
Green residents during 1953, six of these without post-mortem
examination. A further 127 post-mortem examinations were carried
out without an inquest, 77 of these in the Prince of Wales Hospital
which, by arrangement with the Wood Green Borough Council,
provides mortuary services.
MATERNAL MORTALITY
One death occurred during the year as a result of childbirth,
the maternal mortality rate being 1.62 per 1,000 births. There were
no maternal deaths during 1952.
INFANT MORTALITY
There were 17 deaths of infants under one year of age, giving
an infant mortality rate of 28.3 per 1,000 live births. This compares
with a total of 14 deaths and an infant mortality rate of 21.4
in 1952.
Of the 17 infant deaths, 6 occurred within twenty-four hours
of birth, 10 during the first week and 12 during the first four weeks
of life. This gives a neo-natal mortality rate of 20. The corresponding
figure for 1952 was 15.
The following table shows the causes of death at various ages under one year:
| Cause of Death | Under 1 week. | 1 to 2 weeks. | 2 to 3 weeks. | 3 to 4 weeks. | Total under 4 weeks. | 4 weeks and under 3 months. | 3 months and under 6 months. | 6 months and under 9 months. | 9 months and under 12 months. | Total Deaths under One Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prematurity | 5 | – | – | – | 5 | – | – | – | – | 5 |
| Congenital Defects | 2 | 1 | – | 1 | 4 | 1 | – | 1 | – | 6 |
| Atelectasis | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | 1 |
| Gastro–enteritis | ||||||||||
| Intra–cranial Haemorrhage | 2 | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | 2 |
| Capillary Bronchitis | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 |
| Asphyxia Neonatorum | ||||||||||
| Icterus Gravis Neonatorum | ||||||||||
| Volvulus | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Whooping Cough | ||||||||||
| Broncho–pneumonia | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 |
| Tuberculous Meningitis | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| Total | 10 | 1 | – | 1 | 12 | 3 | – | – | 17 |