London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Islington 1948
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington Borough]
This page requires JavaScript
SUMMARY OF INFANT MORTALITY 1948. (Based on Registrar General's Returns)
| Primary Cause of Death | Under 1 day | Days | Weeks | Months | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | 2-3 | 3-4 | 4—5 | 5—6 | 6-7 | 1-2 | 2-3 | 3-4 | 1-2 | 2-3 | 3—4 | 4-5 | 5—6 | 6—7 | 7-8 | 8— 9 | 9-10 | 10-11 | 11-12 | Totals | ||
| Measles | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Whooping Cough | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Cerebro Spinal Fever | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Tuberculosis Lungs | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Tuberculosis—Other forms | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Bronchitis | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | |||||||||||||||
| Pneumonia | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 31 | ||||||||
| Enteritis | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 | |||||||||||||
| Premature Birth | 10 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 23 | |||||||||||||||
| Congenital Malformation, Birth Injury, Atelectasis Atrophy and Marasmus | 19 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 55 | |||||||
| Suffocation Overlying | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Violent Causes | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 16 | |||||||||||||
| Road Traffic Accidents | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| All other causes | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Totals | 34 | 16 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 15 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 8 8 | 2 | — | 1 | 161 |
COMMENTS ON VITAL STATISTICS.
Births and Birth Rate.
The peak of the post-war rise in the birth rate was in 1047 when there were 5,577
live births with a rate of 23.55 per 1,000 population. In 1948, the birth rate fell in
common with the country as a whole, there being 4,608 live births with a rate of
19.34 per 1,000 population. This rate is the lowest since 1945, but is still higher than
the corresponding pre-war rate.
The still-birth rate at 18.94 per 1,000 births is still continuing its downward
trend (the corresponding figure was 30.24 in 1939) and this is satisfactory since it
may to some extent be taken as evidence of the maternal care taken and attention
given to any abnormalities which may arise during pregnancy.
Illegitimate Births.
7.18 per cent, of the 1948 births were registered as illegitimate. This continues
the post-war downward trend.
Principal Causes of Death.
The death rate for 1948 at 11.26 per 1,000 population continues its post-war fall
and is a little under the death rate for England and Wales. The percentage of deaths
in each age group is given in the table "Classification of Deaths" on page 7.
Infants under one year. The infant death rate at 35 per 1,000 live births was a
little higher than the corresponding figure of 32 for 1947, and compares with, say,
67 in 1937. 1948 is the first year for several years in which a new low record has not
continued to be produced. This need not give rise to anxiety since it is probable that
it is only a temporary phase. Nevertheless, it does show that our efforts to improve
the chances of survival of the infant may not be relaxed. I commented in the 1947
report on the very great reduction in the infant mortality figure of illegitimate