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 1954
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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There is some irregularity in the decline in both sets of rates and the margin between
them has varied in extent. In London there was a wartime increase but this setback
was soon recovered. The reduction in infant mortality is a result of many factors and
they have mainly been effective against the causes of death (principally infectious,
diarrhoeal or respiratory) which do not operate until after the first few weeks of life.
Deaths within the first four weeks of life, which result largely from immaturity,
congenital malformations and birth injury, have been more resistant to reduction.
The distribution of causes of death in the first four weeks of life in descending order of magnitude in 1953 and 1954 was as follows :
| Cause | No. of deaths | Per cent. of total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | 1954 | 1953 | 1954 | |
| Post-natal asphyxia and atelectasis | 196 | 203 | 23.9 | 26.5 |
| Immaturity | 202 | 184 | 24.5 | 24.1 |
| Congenital malformations | 114 | 121 | 13.9 | 15.8 |
| Injury at Birth | 136 | 118 | 16.6 | 15.4 |
| Pneumonia of newborn | 59 | 39 | 7.2 | 5.1 |
| Other diseases of early infancy | 66 | 31 | 8.0 | 4.0 |
| Gastro-enteritis and diarrhoea | 4 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.1 |
| All other causes | 44 | 69 | 5.4 | 9.0 |
| Total | 821 | 766 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
INFANT MORTALITY
MORTALITY PER 1,000 LIVE BIRTHS
It will be noted that there are three changes in the order of magnitude between 1953
and 1954—post-natal asphyxia has risen from second to first place, displacing imma-
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