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
Chelsea 1910
Annual report for 1910 of the Medical Officer of Health
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10
The above Table shows the birth-rates and infantile mortality rates
in the five wards of the Borough. The births occurring in the Chelsea
Workhouse and in outlying institutions have been distributed amongst
the various wards. Stanley Ward had the highest birth-rate and the
highest rate of infantile mortality.
From Table XVI. (Local Government Board Table V.) it will be
seen that out of a total of 141 deaths of infants under one year of age in
1910, 54, or 38.3 per cent., occurred in the first four weeks of life, as
compared with 37.3 in 1909, and 33.8 in 1908. Thirty-four deaths
occurred in the first week of life, equal to 24.l per cent. of the total, the
corresponding figure for 1909 being 23.3. The majority of these deaths
in the first month of life are due to premature birth, congenital defects,
and inability to take nourishment. For deaths under the month the rate
of mortality in 1910 is 39 per 1,000 births, as against 40 in 1909, which
is also the average rate for the five years, 1905-9.
Between the ages of 1 month and 12 months, 87 deaths, or 61.7 per
cent. of the total, were registered in 1910, as compared with 62.7 per
cent. in 1909; 19 of these deaths being due to diarrhœal diseases, as
compared with 17 in 1909. There were, besides, 5 deaths each from
measles and whooping cough, 5 from congenital syphilis, 19 from
bronchitis, and 7 from pneumonia, amongst infants under the year.
Illegitimate Births.—The following Table shows, for each of the
years 1905—1910, 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, and the number unaccounted for.
Table XI.—Borough of Chelsea.
| Year. | Illegitimate Births. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 1908 | 96 | 6•2 | 37 | 11 | 48 | 115 |
| 1909 | 74 | 5•3 | 44 | 13 | 17 | 176 |
| 1910 | 80 | 5•8 | 63 | 8 | 9 | 100 |
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 6 years, 1905—1910, is 213 per 1,000, as compared
with 116 per 1,000 for all infants, legitimate and illegitimate. About 50
per cent. of the illegitimate births each year take place in the Chelsea
Workhouse.