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It will be seen that whilst the infant death rate for
England and Wales has consistently decreased, the rates for London
and for Kensington have fluctuated. The number of infant deaths
in the borough, compared with the country as a whole, is very
small and a few deaths more or less in any one year will make a
marked difference in the rate compared with previous years.
One significant factor which could account for part of the
increase in Kensington's rate is the higher number of deaths of
infants from prematurity. In 1955, out of a total of eighty-four
infant deaths, thirty-eight (45.26) were due to prematurity; in
1954 it was twenty-four (39%) out of sixty-one; and in 1953 it
was sixteen (32%) out of fifty. These deaths practically all
take place in hospital and within a few hours or days of birth.
Many of the infants are very tiny, only weighing 1-2 lb. This
factor apparently affects inversely the position regarding stillbirths,
because in 1955 there were only forty-one stillbirths,
compared with forty-eight in 1954 and fifty-three in 1953. There
is no doubt that in the maternity hospitals every effort is made
to save these tiny premature babies, but some of them are so
small that they are hardly capable of life and die within minutes.
It is possible that in past years some of these cases would have
been classified as miscarriages.
However, it is certain that the increase in Kensington's
infant death rate for last year will be carefully investigated
by the London County Council's Divisional Health Committee.
Maternal death rate. One death of a mother due to childbirth
was recorded in 1955» giving a maternal death rate per 1,000 live
and still births of 0.37.
(The maternal mortality rate for the County of London was
0.77 and for England and Wales the figure was 0. 64).
Infectious diseases. Apart from the expected high number
of measles cases notified, there was no serious outbreak of
infectious disease in the borough during 1955. The total number
of notifications received was two thousand three hundred and
twenty-two in comparison with eight hundred and ninety-six in the
previous year. The increase in notifications was mainly due to
the one thousand four hundred and twenty-five cases of measles
notified compared with ninety-four in the previous year.
Two cases of diphtheria were notified in 1955 compared with
no case in the previous year. Neither case had been immunised.
Tuberculosis. The death rate from all forms of tuberculosis
per 100,000 population was 10.0, which is much lower than last
year's figure of 14.0. The 1955 death rate is the lowest ever
recorded in Kensington, and compares favourably with the rate
(14.6) for England and Wales.
Lung Disease. In the past few weeks, public attention has
been drawn to the increasing death rate due to lung cancer. The
subject has a popular interest because of the discussions which
have taken place regarding the possibility of cigarette smoking
having an effect on the mortality rate.
On the 7th May, 1956, the Minister of Health made a statement
in the House of Commons as follows :-
"Since my predecessor made a statement in February,
1954, investigations into the possible connection of smoking
and cancer of the lung have been proceeding in this and
other countries. Two known cancer producing agents have
been identified in tobacco smoke, but whether they have a
direct role in producing lung cancer, and if so what, has
not been proved.
The extent of the problem should be neither minimised