View report page

8
open spaces, adverse environmental factors which are probably as bad in Islington
as anywhere in London, that the Islington infant mortality rate was lower than the
figure for the whole County of London (29). This is indeed an excellent token of
the care exercised by the individual mother during her pregnancy and her child's
first year of life, as well as an index of medical advances. Even illegitimate infants,
with an infant mortality rate of 35 per 1,000 live births, are only at slightly higher
risk than other infants, and stand a very much better chance of survival at the age
of 12 months than did all infants in Islington in pre-war days.
There is reason to suppose that in the future an even greater proportion of all
infants born will survive and grow to healthy adulthood. There is still an avoidable
wastage of life which need not occur even within the limits of our present knowledge,
if reasonable care is exercised, and the mother or mother-to-be takes advantage in
good time of all the services, medical and socio-medical, which are provided for her.
The principal improvements in infant survival (see Summary of Infant Mortality,
1949) are due to fewer deaths from the infectious diseases, bronchitis, pneumonia,
and violent causes. There were no deaths ascribed to overlying in this year.
Deaths from other causes. Pulmonary tuberculosis continues to be the greatest
single cause of death in the age-group 15 to 45 years, with 00 out of 215 deaths
due to all causes in this group. This represents 48 per cent, of all deaths due to
pulmonary tuberculosis, and again of deaths due to this cause, 05.(5 per cent, were
males and 34.4 per cent, females.
The increase in the 1949 total deaths over 1948 was due to an increase in the
age group 65 years and upwards, which comprised 65.65 per cent, of all deaths
against 60.37 per cent, in 1948. The principal increases were ascribed to heart
disease and other diseases of the circulatory system, bronchitis and pneumonia.
There were decreases in deaths due to suicides, road traffic accidents and other violent
causes.