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48
All except one of the first week deaths occurred in properly equipped hospitals with specialist
paediatric care available. Seventeen of these babies were premature according to weight or period
of gestation; five were under 2 lbs. and five between 2 and 3 lbs. Two of the mothers were unmarried
and had had no ante-natal care. This might have been an associated cause of the prematurity.
Ten babies had severe congenital abnormalities incompatible with life. These included one
anencephaly, one hydrocephalus and four multiple malformations. In none of these was it possible
to discover a causal factor either in the family history or in the mother's pregnancy. Two babies
died of asphyxia; one of these was found dead at Victoria Station and presumably there was lack
of proper care.
Of the five other neo-natal deaths (7-28 days) three were due to congenital cardiac lesions, one
had haemolytic disease for which it received exchange transfusion, and one died from gastroenteritis
shortly after discharge from hospital.
Eleven deaths occurred between one and six months. One was in a baby who had received an
exchange transfusion for rhesus incompatibility, and one was attributed to haemolytic anaemia
possibly associated with a defect in carbohydrate metabolism. Four died from severe congenital
cardiac defects and one from brain damage associated with ante partum haemorrhage and prematurity.
A further four died from acute broncho pneumonia or pneumonitis; two of these became
ill suddenly and were admitted to hospital and died within 12 hours; the other two were found
dead in their cots having been apparently quite well a few hours before. In all four cases the care
of the babies had been good and the rapid development of fatal respiratory infection could not
have been foreseen or prevented. Of the babies dying of gastro-enteritis, one, the infant of an
elderly multipara, failed to thrive and was admitted to hospital as a possible case of malabsorption.
The other was discharged early from hospital to the care of the family doctor and midwife; it developed
persistent vomiting and died shortly after re-admission to hospital. The only death over the age of
six months occurred in a baby with severe cystic fibrosis.
Out of these 49 infant deaths therefore 36 were due to extreme prematurity or congenital
abnormalities incompatible with life. All except one (the baby found at Victoria Station) received
specialist medical and nursing care and it is difficult to see how any of their deaths could have been
prevented.
Health Centres
The City Council has approved proposals for providing two Health Centres in Westminster in
accordance with the provisions of section 21 of the National Health Service Act 1946.
These two centres will be located in Lisson Green, N.W.1, and in Hall Place, Edgware Road,
W.2. Designs for the Lisson Green Health Centre are being prepared and preliminary discussions
have been held with all the interested parties.
In regard to the Centre at Hall Place the Health Committee decided that, owing to the current
economic situation, the proposal should be deferred for a period of one year. It was, however,
agreed that works to strengthen the car park roof (on which the Health Centre would be built)
should be carried out in order to facilitate the eventual construction of the Centre.
The City Council's Ten Year Plan for the development of the local authority health services,
approved by the Council in 1965 and submitted to the Ministry of Health, is continually under review
and the various proposals will depend on the exigencies of the City Council's budgetary priorities
and the current economic situation.
Opportunity is being taken to review the provision which is made in various parts of Westminster
for the local authority health services with a view to a comprehensive plan being prepared for the
future location of health centres.
Urban Programme
The Ministry of Health in Circular 35/68 dated 4th October, 1968 and issued jointly with the
Home Office and the Department of Education and Science, detailed the Government's proposals
to initiate an urban programme of expenditure mainly on education, housing, health and welfare
in areas of special social need.
Westminster was included as one of 17 London Boroughs and 17 County Boroughs which
qualified to seek immediate approval for proposals for additional expenditure in regard to nursery
schools and classes, day nurseries and children's homes.