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
Merton and Morden 1943
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Merton & Morden]
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The infant mortality rate is the number of deaths of infants under one year per thousand live births. They are set out in the appended table:—
| England and Wales. | Merton and Morden. | |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 55 | 34.3 |
| 1941 | 59 | 42.5 |
| 1942 | 49 | 33.9 |
| 1943 | 49 | 23.5 |
It will be observed that the number of illegitimate births
at 57 is the highest ever recorded for the district, and while
the absence of any deaths of illegitimate infants under one year
of age gives an illegitimate infant mortality rate of nil, this
does not by any means convey a true picture.
Appended is a table to illustrate this fact. It compares the mortality rate of illegitimate infants with legitimate infants for the previous ten years.
| Year. | Infant Mortality Rate among Legitimate Infants. | Infant Mortality Rate among Illegitimate Infants. |
|---|---|---|
| 1933 | 48.1 | 105 |
| 1934 | 39 | 90.9 |
| 1935 | 38.8 | 40 |
| 1936 | 35.4 | 55.5 |
| 1937 | 39.4 | 142 |
| 1938 | 39.3 | 161 |
| 1939 | 30.3 | 185 |
| 1940 | 34.3 | 172 |
| 1941 | 40.7 | 75 |
| 1942 | 32 | 51 |
| Average 37.8 | Average 107.7 |
It will be seen that the chances of survival during the
first year of life are three times better for a legitimate child
than for an illegitimate one.
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