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
Battersea 1910
Report on the health of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea for the year 1910
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| Certified Causes of Death. | Months. 0-3. | Months. 3-6. | Months. 6-12. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diarrhœa | 21 | 23 | 28 | 72 |
| Prematurity | 82 | 1 | — | 83 |
| Marasmus and debility | 19 | 1 | 5 | 25 |
| Developmental disease | 20 | 3 | 1 | 24 |
| Bronchitis | 20 | 12 | 11 | 43 |
| Pneumonia | 16 | 4 | 25 | 45 |
| Convulsions | 6 | 1 | 2 | 9 |
| Suffocation | 1 | — | 1 | 2 |
| Measles | — | — | 11 | 11 |
| Whooping cough | 8 | 3 | 15 | 26 |
| Tuberculosis | 2 | 4 | 8 | 14 |
| Meningitis | — | — | 3 | 3 |
| Miscellaneous | 47 | 10 | 20 | 77 |
| 242 | 62 | 130 | 434 |
A glance at the above table shows (a) that the mortality is
heaviest in the first three months of life, more than half the deaths
occurring during that age period ; (b) that three groups of diseases
between them account for 292 (or 67.2 per cent.) of the total deaths
of infants during 1910, viz., prematurity, respiratory diseases and
diarrhoea.
Looking more in detail into these figures it will be seen that of
the 434 deaths of infants 132 (or 30 per cent.) were due to congenital
or developmental diseases (which include prematurity,
marasmus, atrophy, debility, &c.), such infants not having the
necessary vitality to survive.
The diarrhœal group of diseases again shows a decrease in
infantile mortality as compared with the two preceding years, to
some extent at least the result of the favourable meteorological
conditions during the summer months.
The respiratory group of diseases shows a slight decrease as
compared with the previous year.
The causes responsible for these 434 infant deaths were inquired
into by the Health Department. The chief preventive
measures for dealing with this important subject have been fully
described in past annual reports, so that it will be unnecessary to do
more than briefly recapitulate them, viz. :—
1. Notification of Births Act.
2. Health Visitors.
3. Milk Depot.