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 1924
Report on the health of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea for the year 1924
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| Year. | Births. | Ratio of Illeg. to Legit. Births. | Deaths. (Infants under 1 year.) | Deaths per 1,000 Births. | Ratio of Illeg. I.M.R. to Legit. I.M.R. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legit. | Illeg. | Legit. | Illeg. | Legit. | Illeg. | |||
| 1919 | 2,916 | 159 | .055 | 204 | 24 | 70.0 | 150.9 | 2.16 |
| 1920 | 4,509 | 160 | .035 | 358 | 28 | 79.4 | 175.0 | 2.20 |
| 1921 | 3,611 | 131 | .036 | 252 | 24 | 69.8 | 183.2 | 2.62 |
| 1922 | 3,537 | 128 | .036 | 231 | 23 | 650 | 179.7 | 2.76 |
| 1923 | 3,319 | 115 | .035 | 155 | 15 | 46.7 | 130 4 | 2.79 |
| Average 1919-1923 | 3,578 | 139 | .039 | 240 | 23 | 67.1 | 164.5 | 2. 45 |
| 1924 | 3,031 | 108 | .036 | 180 | 16 | 59.4 | 148.1 | 2.49 |
The above table shows that the death-rate amongst illegitimate
children, though slightly lower in 1924, shows little variation,
while on the other hand the decline in the rate for legitimate infants
has been steady and progressive.
Notification of Births Act.
The Notification of Births Act, 1907, was adopted in the Borough
of Battersea and came into force in 1908.
During 1924 the number of notifications of live births received
was 3,117. The corrected number of births registered in Battersea
was 3,139. The proportion of notified to registered births was 99 • 3
per cent.
The number of still-births notified during the year was 79 or
2.5 per cent. of the corrected total births registered.
195 births of infants born outside the Borough, but children of
Battersea residents, were notified from the districts in which these
births occurred.
Notified births are visited and re-visited by the Council's official
Health Visitors and by the Health Visitors of the voluntary organizations
linked up with the Council's Maternity and Child Welfare
Scheme. The mothers are invited to bring their babies to the
various Welfare Centres included in the Battersea Maternity and
Child Welfare Scheme.
A weekly return of all births notified is sent to the London
County Council in accordance with the requirements of Sec. 5, subsec.
2 of the Notification of Births Act.