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
Greenwich 1953
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough]
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20
the Registrar General has allocated to this Borough a total of 25
infant deaths, one more than actually occurred. The error was
revealed too late to allow of alteration in the official figure but
timelv correction would have produced an Infantile Mortality Rate
of 17 33.
The deaths of the 24 infants were attributed to the following causes:—
| Prematurity | 5 | Gastro-enteritis | 1 |
| Broncho-pneumonia | 5 | Emphysema (staphylococcal) | 1 |
| Congenital Malformation | 4 | ||
| Intussusception | 1 | ||
| Whooping Cough | 2 | Kernicterus | 1 |
| Meningitis | 1 | Birth Injury | 1 |
| Bronchitis | 1 | Other Causes | 1 |
Of the above, 13 were male and 11 female : 9 died in St. Alfege's
Hospital, 3 in Brook Hospital, 8 in other Hospitals and 4 at home.
Neo-Natal Mortality.—Neo-natal mortality, i.e., infants
dying before attaining the age of one month, accounted for 12
deaths, equivalent to 50% of all infant deaths and giving a Neonatal
Mortality Rate of 8.68 per 1,000 live births. Nine of these
neo-natal deaths occurred within the first week of birth, the main
cause being Prematurity.
A table showing the causes of and ages at death is included in
the Appendix to the Report.
The following table shows the comparative Infantile Mortality Rate for the quinquennial periods since 1931, together with the Rate for 1953 :—
| District | Average for five years 1931-1935 | Average for five years 1936-1940 | Average for five years 1941-1945 | Average for five years 1946-1950 | Year 1953 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenwioh | 75 | 50 | 40 | 27 | 18.1 |
| London | 63 | 56 | 60 | 33 | 24.8 |
| England & Wales | 62 | 55 | 50 | 36 | 26.8 |
Bad housing, overcrowding, poor sanitation, low standards of
education, all tend to produce higher Infant Mortality Rates. It