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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fidential report in each case is forwarded to the Maternal
Mortality Committee of the Ministry of Health in accordance
with the recommendation contained in the Committee's report
on Maternal Mortality.
INFANT MORTALITY.
In the introduction to this report attention has been drawn
to the satisfactoriness of the infant mortality, and the comfort
that may be derived from the implication of these figures.
There were 27 deaths of infants under one year of age, of
whom 15 were male and 12 female. None of these were
illegitimate infants.
The appended details of causes of neonatal deaths
illustrates well the observations made in the introduction to
this report, and shows clearly enough where any further saving
of infant life will have to take place.
| Sex. | Age. | Cause. |
|---|---|---|
| Male | 10 minutes | Erythroblastosis Fœtalis. |
| Female | 6 days | Patent interventricular Septum. |
| Male | 2 days | Atelectasis and Prematurity. |
| Male | 1 day | Congenital Heart Disease. |
| Female | 4 hours | Prematurity. |
| Female | 6 weeks | Intussusception. |
| Female | 1 day | Atelectasis. |
| Male | 2 weeks | Malnutrition—Cleft Palate. |
| Male | 2 hours | Prematurity. |
| Male | 1 month | Septicæmia—Gastro-enteritis. |
| Female | 20 minutes | Atelectasis. |
| Male | 14 hours | Prematurity—Maternal Eclampsia. |
| Male | 1 day | Atelectasis—Prematurity. |
| Male | 7 hours | Cyanotic attacks—Prematurity. |
| Male | 15 minutes | Atelectasis. Prenatal inspiration of meconium and Liquor Amnii. |
| Male | 1 month | Marasmus. Gastro Enteritis. |
| Male | 6 hours | Prematurity—Atelectasis. |
| Female | 5 minutes | Multiple Congenital Malformations. |
It is interesting to analyse these causes of death, bearing
in mind the two before-mentioned broad groups, developmental
faults and birth hazards. It will be seen that out of the 18 deaths
12 occurred within 24 hours of birth and actually 14 within
the first week. This reveals that 40 per cent. of our infant
mortality is due to deaths within 24 hours of birth. Five deaths
are clearly attributable to the second group alone—developmental
errors. Prematurity figures as a cause in 7 of these
deaths and the new requirement of the birth notification to
indicate where the infant is less than 5½ lbs. will shed a
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