London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Greenwich 1946

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough]

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26
Other Ante-Natal Services.—In addition to the facilities
provided at the Borough Council Centres, 461 women received
treatment at St. Alfege Hospital, making approximately 2,760
attendances, whilst the British Home for Mothers and Babies,
Woolwich, was responsible for Ante-Natal supervision for 160
patients who made 900 attendances.
Infantile Mortality.—The number of deaths under one year
of age was 59 as compared with 52 for the previous year, representing
an Infantile Mortality Rate of 34 per 1,000 live births, compared
with 43 for England and Wales and 41 for the County of London.
This is the lowest Infantile Mortality Rate ever recorded in the
Borough, with the exception of the years 1941 and 1942 when the
figures were 31 and 32 respectively. (During those years, however,
owing to evacuation and war conditions generally, dependable
figures were difficult to obtain).
Prior to the introduction of the Maternity and Child Welfare
Act, 1918, the Rate was over 100 and the marked saving in infant
life, mainly as a result of the Council's comprehensive Maternity &
Child Welfare Scheme, will be appreciated.

The causes of the 59 deaths were:—

Premature Births20
Pneumonia and Bronchitis12
Congenital Malformation6
Atelectasis5
Asphyxia5
Gastro-Enteriiis4
All other causes7

Of the above number, 42 were male and 17 female.
Infants dying before attaining the age of one month numbered
35, equivalent to 59.3 per cent of the total Infantile deaths—all but
2 dying in the first week. As usual, the principal causes of death
were Prematurity and Atelectasis.
Enquiries are made in connection with all infantile deaths. In
23 cases the mother had not attended the Council's Ante-Natal
Clinics, but 16 had attended either Hospital or Nursing Homes;
4 had been under the care of General Practitioners or Midwives. In
the remaining 3 cases, one had received no supervision whatever,
no history being available in regard to the remaining 2.
Deaths of Children between 1 and 5 Years of Age.—The
number of deaths of children between the age of 1 and 2 years was
7, and between 2 and 5 years—3. The corresponding figures ten
years ago were 11 and 19 respectively.