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
Holborn 1956
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Holborn Borough]
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TABLE No. 4
Deaths of Infants under one year of age Causes of, and ages at, death
Classification according to the short list of causes of death adopted by the Registrar General in Form S.D.25
| Cause of Death | AGE | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 Day. | 1 Day to 1 Week. | 1-2 Weeks. | 2-3 Weeks. | 3-4 Weeks. | Total Under 4 Weeks | 4 Weeks to 3 Months. | 3-6 Months. | 6-9 Months. | 9-12 Months. | Total Under 1 Year | |
| 31. Congenital malformations | |||||||||||
| Anencephaly | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | ||
| Congenital heart disease | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | |
| Fibrocystic disease | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 |
| Leaking meningocoele | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| Ventricular septal defect | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | |
| 32. Other defined and ill-defined diseases | |||||||||||
| Atelectasis | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | ||
| Birth injury | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | - | 1 | |
| Mongolism | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | - | 1 | |
| Prematurity | 3 | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | _ | - | 3 |
| 34. All other accidents | |||||||||||
| Inhalation of regurgitated stomach contents | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 |
Examination of the infant deaths of 1956 shows that six deaths occurred in the first
day of life. Three of these were due to prematurity, including twins born at 24 weeks
gestation, who survived for one hour. Two deaths were due to severe malformations and
one to birth injury.
Of the seven children dying between the age of one day and one year, five had congenital
malformations, which caused or contributed to their death. One died following an
operation to repair a congenitally malformed heart. One child died at three days of
pulmonary atelectasis, and one at three months of asphyxia due to inhalation of vomit.
In the case of four of the infants whose deaths were registered in Holborn, the home
addresses were outside England and Wales. The premature twins were illegitimate and
are solely responsible for the illegitimate infant mortality rate of 60.6.
Classification according to the short list of causes of death adopted by the Registrar General in Form S.D.25
| Cause of Death | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5. Whooping Cough | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - |
| 9. Other infective and parasitic diseases | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 20. Other heart disease | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | - | - |
| 23. Pneumonia | - | - | - | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 24. Bronchitis | - | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 27. Gastritis, enteritis and diarrhoea | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| 31. Congenital malformations | 4 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| 32. Other defined and ill-defined diseases | 5 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 7 | - | 7 | 2 | 6 |
| 34. All other accidents | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| 12 | 12 | 7 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 13 |