London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1953
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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the first four weeks of life, which result largely from prematurity, congenital malformations
and injury at birth, have been more resistant to reduction.
INFANT MORTALITY
MORTALITY PER 1.000 LIVE BIRTHS
The distribution of causes of death in the first four weeks of life in descending order of magnitude in 1952 and 1953 was as follows :
| Cause | No. of deaths | Per cent. of total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | 1953 | 1952 | 1953 | |
| Prematurity | 209 | 202 | 25.5 | 24.5 |
| Post-natal asphyxia and atelectasis | 178 | 196 | 21.8 | 23.9 |
| Birth injury | 141 | 136 | 17.3 | 16.6 |
| Congenital malformations | 118 | 114 | 14.4 | 13.9 |
| Other diseases of early infancy | 74 | 66 | 9.1 | 8.0 |
| Pneumonia of newborn | 56 | 59 | 6.9 | 7.2 |
| Diarrhoea and Enteritis | 2 | 4 | 0.2 | 0.5 |
| All other causes | 39 | 44 | 4.8 | 5.4 |
| Total | 817 | 821 | 100.0 | 100.0 |