View report page

10
COMMENTS ON VITAL STATISTICS
Births.
For the first time since 1947, there has been no fall in the birth-rate as compared
with the previous year. The 1952 rate at 16.56 per thousand population was
fractionally higher than the 1951 rate at 16.45. Whether this is only a local
temporary halt in the downward tendency, or whether the birth-rate is becoming
stabilised around this rate only the future will show, but it is unlikely that it is
the beginning of a reversal with an increase in the rate to follow.
The proportion of births classified as illegitimate remains fairly constant at
7.8 per cent. of all the 1952 births.
Principal Causes of Death.
The death-rate of 12.22 per thousand population shows a return to the average
of the death-rates in the post-war years.
Infants under One Tear. The infant mortality rate of 22 per thousand live
births shows a substantial decrease over the corresponding rates for the three
previous years. It is the lowest infant mortality rate in the history of the Borough,
and in the light of the many adverse housing and other environmental circumstances
in Islington, can only be considered as a remarkable achievement. In the main
this very favourable survival rate for infants must be regarded as an indication of
the very rapidly improving standard of mother care and knowledge, assisted, of
course, by the continuing activities of the Local Health Authority medical staff and
health visitors at the Welfare Centres, by the General Medical Practitioners, and
by the more general educational services, including broadcasting. A good survival
rate also means that the survivors are healthier children. Even with this low infant
death-rate there is no reason to think that the best has yet been achieved, and
mothers should confidently look forward to even more greatly reduced risks for
their infants ; such results have already been achieved in some other districts and
there is no reason to think they could not also be achieved here.
Of the total of 88 infant deaths, 31 occurred within 24 hours of birth, and 60
within the first seven days. In infants over the age of four weeks the main causes
for the decrease were fewer deaths due to bronchitis and pneumonia, which is
associated with a good standard of maternal care and resort in good time for medical
attention ; and also in the group of deaths due to congenital malformations, birth
injuries, etc., which were 18 less than the previous year, and where the reduction
is probably associated with efficient ante-natal care and attention. There were only
four deaths of infants between the ages of six and twelve months. Contrary to
the tendency over the last three or four years, the infant mortality rate for illegitimate
infants increased to 46, which is a little over double the rate for all infants.
Deaths from Other Causes.
Respiratory Tuberculosis. Deaths from this cause, at 71, were 2 more than in
the previous year. Of this total of 71, 31 were in men aged 45 to 65 ; this
indicates the economic hardship caused to families by the loss of the principal
breadwinner at an age when he would probably otherwise be receiving maximum
income.
Malignant Growths of Lung and Bronchus. Deaths from cancer of the lung
and bronchus at 127 as in the previous year, continue to be very substantially greater
than pulmonary tuberculosis deaths. 107 of the total were in males, as against 20
in females—thus giving a male/female ratio of over five to one. Nearly 50% of
the male deaths, or 52, were in men aged 45 to 65 which is, of course, the same
age-group as that principally affected by tuberculosis of the lungs.