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 1949
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Battersea Borough]
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The number of deaths and infant deaths registered in each quarter of the year is set out in the following table, in which, for convenience, the corresponding figures for births have also been inserted.
| Quarter. | Births (live). | Infant Deaths (under 1 year). | All Deaths. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Per cent. of Total. | No. | Per cent. of Total. | No. | Per cent of Total. | |
| 1 | 563 | 27.8 | 16 | 31.3 | 482 | 33.8 |
| 2 | 495 | 24.5 | 14 | 27.5 | 322 | 22.6 |
| 3 | 504 | 24.9 | 7 | 13.7 | 235 | 16.5 |
| 4 | 461 | 22.8 | 14 | 27.5 | 387 | 27.1 |
| Total | 2,023 | 100.0 | 51 | 100.0 | 1,426 | 100.0 |
Deaths of Illegitimate Infants.
The death rate amongst illegitimate children during 1949 was
22.73 per 1,000 illegitimate live births, as compared with 44.30 in
1948, 45.98 in 1947, 87.91 in 1946, and 37.04 in 1945. The corresponding
death rate of legitimate children in 1949 was 25.38, the ratio
of mortality rate of illegitimate infants to that of legitimate being
90 to 100. The corresponding figure for 1948 was 144 to 100.
Maternal Mortality.
During 1949 there were 2 deaths of women from diseases or
accidents of child-birth, which is equivalent to a fatality rate of
0.97 per 1,000 births (live and still), as compared with 3 deaths and
a fatality rate of 1.00 in 1948.
The rate for England and Wales in 1949 was 0.98.
Comparative Statistics of Births, Mortality, etc. (Compiled from Registrar-General's Returns.)
| Year | Civilian Population | Live Birth Rate | Death Rate | Maternal Death Rate | Infant MortalityRate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 108,380 | 16.6 | 18.4 | 1.77 | 41.3 |
| 1941 | 82,100 | 15.7 | 18.3 | 1.88 | 63.4 |
| 1942 | 85,940 | 18.3 | 14.9 | 1.24 | 53.5 |
| 1943 | 89,160 | 18.3 | 15.8 | 0.0 | 53.9 |
| 1944 | 85,380 | 19.0 | 17.7 | 1.22 | 49.8 |
| 1945 | 90,420 | 17.6 | 13.8 | 1.23 | 40.8 |
| 1946 | 108,610 | 23.4 | 13.5 | 1.54 | 42.4 |
| 1947 | 114,960 | 23.2 | 12.6 | 0.73 | 31.5 |
| 1948 | 116,500 | 19.3 | 11.3 | 1.00 | 31.6 |
| 1949 | 117,510 | 17.2 | 12.1 | 0.97 | 25.2 |