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
Kensington 1929
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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CAUSES OF, AND AGES AT, DEATH OF INFANTS UNDER ONE YEAR OF AGE IN KENSINGTON DURING 1929.
| Causes of death. | Under I week. | 1—2 weeks. | 2—3 weeks. | 3—4 weeks. | Total 4 weeks. | 1—3 months | 3—6 months | 6—9 months | 9—12 months. | Total infant deaths under 1 year. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Common infectious diseases (Whooping cough 21) (Diphtheria 1) | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 22 |
| 2. Tuberculosis | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 3. Pneumonia and bronchitis | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 8 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 34 |
| 4. Enteritis | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 8 | 16 | 13 | 5 | 43 |
| 5. Complications of birth (Injury 4) (Atelectasis 9) | 12 | — | — | — | 12 | 1 | — | — | — | 13 |
| 6. Congenital malforma-tion | 6 | 1 | — | 2 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 2 | — | 20 |
| 7. Premature birth | 31 | 3 | — | 3 | 37 | 6 | — | — | — | 43 |
| 8. Atrophy, debility and marasmus | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 19 |
| 9. Other diseases (Meningitis 2) (Convulsions 3) (Influenza 5) (Other conditions 6) | 4 | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 16 |
| Totals | 54 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 68 | 43 | 53 | 31 | 18 | 213 |
| Death-rate in each age period per 1,000 births | 21.2 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 2.4 | 26.8 | 16.9 | 20.8 | 12.2 | 7.1 | 84 |
| Percentage of total infant deaths occurring in each age period | 25.3 | 2.8 | 0.9 | 2.8 | 31.9 | 20.2 | 24.8 | 14.5 | 8.4 |
It is a matter of regret to have to record that the infantile death rate remains high. The
rate for Kensington for 1929 was practically the same as that for the previous year but, largely
owing to various unfavourable climatic conditions in 1929, there was a definite increase in the
rate in the country generally and in London. Indeed, in seventeen of the twenty-nine London
boroughs, the infantile death rate was higher in 1929 than in the preceding year.
The tables show that there has been no increase in the actual number of infant deaths in the
borough, the total (213) being the same as in the preceding year. The increase in the rate of one
point from 83 to 84 arises from the reduction in the number of births in 1929.
A study of the infantile mortality statistics for 1929 shows that the high rate in that year
can be mainly attributed to the epidemic of whooping cough and the large number of deaths from
enteritis and premature birth.