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BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK
Public Health Department,
Municipal Offices,
Larcom Street. S.E.17.
To His Worship the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors,
Sir, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I beg to submit my Annual Report on the health of the
Borough for the year 1947.
BIRTHS: There were 2,434 births registered in the Borough,
giving a birth rate of 26.4 per thousand of the population,
the highest that has been recorded for many years. Ten years
ago the birth rate was 14 per thousand. The infant mortality
rate, that is the deaths per thousand births was 39 as
compared with 57 ton years ago. This infant mortality rate
is the lowest recorded. The chief causes of infant deaths
were:-
Congenital malformations and birth injuries 26
Prematurity 21
Pneumonia 20
It is satisfactory to record that diarrhoea, which was
the chief cause of infant mortality ten years ago, is now almost
negligible but preventable conditions, such as pneumonia and
prematurity, still claim far too many infant lives.
In giving birth to those infants, four mothers,
unfortunately, lost their lives but there were no deaths from
puerperal sepsis, which is a tribute to the high degree of
efficiency of the maternity service.
These figures indicate the degree of efficiency of the
Council's scheme of Child Welfare and Maternity Services,
and also the London County Council Midwifery Service, and
there is no doubt that the results obtained are very
satisfactory.
The babies which attend at the Welfare Centres each
day are bonnier and healthier than ever, and the same can bo
said for the majority of the mothers. This is no time, however,
for self-satisfaction and complacency as there are still many
preventable conditions to bo tackled which, as already
indicated, cause far too many infant deaths.