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
Poplar 1916
Annual report for the year 1916 on the sanitary condition and vital statistics of the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar, comprising the registration sub-districts of Poplar, Bromley and Bow
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| No. of births, including those occurring in out-lying districts but belonging to the Borough | 4,800 |
| Still-born | 127 |
| Died before visit | 121 |
| Not requiring and not desiring visits | 501 |
| Visited | 4,051 |
| Removed and not traced | 496 |
| Died | 349 |
| Remaining under supervision | 3,206 |
| Mortality per 1,000 births, including still-births | 124.7 |
| „ „ excluding „ | 100.7 |
| ,, visited | 98.2 |
It will be noticed that there was a mortality rate of 51.6 per 1,000
before the visitors had a chance. It will be interesting to note what
effect Ante-natal visiting will have upon this rate. Personally, I think
the carrying out of the recommendations of the Royal Commission on
Venereal Diseases will be more likely to effect a reduction.
Mothers who worked during pregnancy 71 per cent.
„ „ ,, after delivery 9.1 ,,
The feeding of the infants visited during the first six months of life was as follows:-
| (1) Those alive at end of completed year (December, 1915):- | |
| Breast-fed | 72.47 per cent. |
| Mixed feeding | 25.86 „ |
| Hand-fed | 1.65 „ |
| (2) Those who died:- | |
| Breast-fed | 6.79 per cent. |
| Mixed feeding | 18.59 „ |
| Hand-fed | 74.51 „ |
| (3) Comparison of Rates of Mortality between infants. | |
| Breast-fed | 6.36 per cent. |
| Mixed feeding | 15.63 „ |
| Hand-fed | 42.69 „ |