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
Bethnal Green 1920
Report on the health of the Borough during the year 1920
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18
INFANTILE MORTALITY.
365 deaths of Bethnal Green infants under one
year of age took place during the year. This is equal
to a rate of infantile mortality of 94 6 per 1,000 births.
Comparison with previous years is as follows:—
| 1914 | 137.0 |
| 1915 | 118.0 |
| 1916 | 106.0 |
| 1917 | 110.3 |
| 1918 | 130.2 |
| 1919 | 85.0 |
Of the 365 deaths, 58 were due to Prematurity
and 45 were due to Diarrhoea and Enteritis. Only
14 deaths were certified as being due to Measles,
although some of the 101 deaths ascribed to Bronchitis
or Pneumonia were probably secondary to Measles.
So far as can be ascertained, 358 of the deaths
were those of legitimate infants and 7 those of illegitimate
infants. Accordingly we have the following
figures for infantile mortality:—
Infantile mortality (legitimate) 95
Infantile mortality (illegitimate) 79
Infantile mortality (all infants) 94.6
It is unusual for the illegitimate infantile
mortality to be lower than the legitimate infantile
mortality.