London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Chelsea 1907
Annual report for 1907 of the Medical Officer of Health
This page requires JavaScript
10
The births occurring in the Chelsea Workhouse and the births
occurring in outside institutions have been re-distributed amongst the
various Wards.
As in 1905, Stanley Ward had the highest birth-rate, whilst Church
Ward had the highest infantile mortality-rate.
From Table XV, (Local Government Board Table V.) it will be
seen that out of the total of 182 deaths of infants under 1 year of age
in Chelsea in 1907, 64, or 35 2 per cent. occurred in the first 4 weeks
of life, as compared with 30 3 per cent. in 1906 ; and 32, or 17 6 per
cent. occurred in the first week of life, as compared with 14.2 per cent.
in 1906. The majority of these deaths in the first month of life are
due to developmental defects, want of vitality, and injuries at birth.
For deaths under a month the rate in 1907 is 43 per 1000 births, as
against 42 in 1906.
Between the ages of 1 month and 12 months, 118 deaths, 648
per cent. of the total, were registered in 1907, as compared with 70 per
cent, in 1906 ; 29 of these deaths being due to diarrhoea, as compared
with 52 in 1906. There were, besides, 7 deaths from measles, 14 from
whooping cough, 27 from bronchitis, 11 from pneumonia, and 7 from
convulsions.
Illegitimate Births.—The following Table shows for each of the
years 1905, 1906, and 1907, the number of illegitimate births belonging
to the Borough, the number known to be alive at the end of each year,
the number known to be dead at the end of each year, and the number
unaccounted for at the end of each year.
Table X.—Borough of Chelsea.
| Illegitimate Births. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year. | Number. | Per cent of total births. | Alive at end of year. | Dead at end of year. | Unaccounted for. | Deaths under 1 to 1 ,000 births. |
| 1905 | 88 | 5•5 | 19 | 10 | 59 | 114 |
| 1906 | 73 | 4•8 | 21 | 7 | 45 | 96 |
| 1907 | 76 | 5•2 | 28 | 9 | 39 | 118 |
The infantile mortality rates in the above Table are evidently
minimum rates, owing to the considerable numbers each year unaccounted
for by change of residence, or other cause. Assuming that the
illegitimate babies unaccounted for died at the same rate as those
accounted for, then the average infantile mortality rate of the illegitimate
children born in the 3 years 1905-7, is 312 per 1000, as compared with
127 per 1000 for all infants, legitimate and illegitimate. About 50 per
cent. of the illegitimate births each year take place in the Chelsea
Workhouse.
In connection with illegitimate births, Miss Richardson, the
Borough Council's Lady Sanitary Inspector, reports that the majority