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
Fulham 1913
Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1913
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26
Causes of Infantile Mortality.
Table XIV. gives the causes of the deaths at various
periods under one year of age, and in the following
table the mortality from certain groups of diseases will
be found.
TABLE XVI.
| Diseases. | Deaths per 1,000 births. | |
|---|---|---|
| 1913. | Average of 5 years 1908-12. | |
| Infectious Diseases | 6.4 | 8.5 |
| Tuberculous Diseases | 3.5 | 3.9 |
| Diarrhœal Diseases | 19.4 | 22.8 |
| Respiratory Diseases | 15.5 | 20.0 |
| Premature Birth, Congenital Defects and Debility | 34.7 | 34.8 |
| Other Causes | 16.5 | 20.3 |
| 96.0 | 110.3 | |
Notification of Births Act—Prevention of Infantile
Mortality,
3,260 notifications of living, and 106 of stillborn
children were received under the above Act, 77 per cent.
of the births registered during the year being notified.
Of these, 2,246 or 67 per cent. were notified by
midwives, 954 or 28 per cent. by medical practitioners,
and 166 or 5 per cent. by relatives.
Visits were paid to 1,066 or 25 per cent. of the babies
born in the borough either by your Sanitary Inspector
or the Superintendent of the Fulham School for Mothers,
and about one-half of these were visited again on one
or more occasions, according to their needs, 2,520 visits
being made. The want of a Health Visitor who would
devote her whole time to this work is greatly felt, and I
must again express regret that the Council have refused
to appoint one, though repeatedly pressed to do so.
The benefits resulting from the systematic visitation of
infants and the instruction of mothers are unquestionable,
and having regard to the excessive child mortality