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 1957
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough]
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21
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 1957:—
| District | Average for Quinquennial Periods | Year 1957 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1931 to1935 | 1936 to 1940 | 1941 to1945 | 1946to 1950 | 1951to 1955 | |||||
| Greenwich | 75 | 50 | 40 | 27 | 18.4 | 28.82 | |||
| London | 63 | 56 | 60 | 33 | 23.8 | 21.9 | |||
| England & Wales | 62 | 65 | 50 | 36 | 26.9 | 23.1 | |||
The actual number of infantile deaths recorded during the year was 36 (16 more than last year) and these were attributed to the following causes :—
| Prematurity | 20 | Atelectasis | 1 |
| Congenital Malformations | 5 | Injury at Birth | 1 |
| Tracheo-bronchitis | 3 | Asphyxia Neonatorum | 1 |
| Capillary Bronchitis | 1 | Ileocaecal Intussusception | 1 |
| Pneumonia | 1 | ||
| Gastro-enteritis | 1 | Haemolytic Disease of Newborn | 1 |
Of the above, 22 were male and 14 female; 15 died in St. Alfege's
Hospital, 5 in the British Home for Mothers and Babies, 4 in the
Brook Hospital, 1 in the Miller Hospital, 7 in Hospitals and Maternity
Homes outside the Borough and 4 at home.
Neo-Natal Mortality.—Neo-natal mortality, i.e., infants dying
before attaining the age of one month, accounted for 26 deaths,
equivalent to 72.2% of all infant deaths and giving a Neo-natal
Mortality Rate of 20.81 per 1,000 live births. This compares with
a figure of 16.5 for England & Wales. Twenty-three of these neonatal
deaths occurred within the first week of birth, the main
cause being Prematurity.