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 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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| Age (mths) | 1911-13 | 1920-22 | 1930-32 | 1950-52 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
The very different structure of infant mortality in 1950-52 suggested that it would be of interest to examine the relation of infant mortality and socio-economic indices by ages:
| Age (months) | Years | Proportion of Population in Social Classes IV and V r | Persons per room r | Percentage living more than two to a room r |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 | ||||
In the first two triennia the correlations between neonatal mortality and the indices
of socio-economic conditions were not significant, but in 1950-52 the percentage of
the population in Social Classes IV and V and the number of persons per room showed
a significant negative correlation. During the period the fall in the birth rate, from
198 legitimate births per 1,000 married women aged 15-44 in 1911-13 to 102 in 1950-52
for the whole of London, may account for this negative correlation by increasing the
relative importance of the first births. Heady, Daly, and Morris (1955) showed that,
for mothers aged 25 years and over, neonatal mortality is highest among first-born
children and increases with age of mother. It has been shown that the birth rate is
correlated with the three indices of general living conditions, i.e., the lower the social
index the higher the birth rate, and it is known that the age of marriage decreases with
social class. In 1920-22, the infant mortality at all later ages, 1-3 months, 3-6 months,
6-12 months, and 1-12 months, was significantly correlated with the three indices of
environmental conditions. In 1930-32, the correlations at 1-3 months were all insignificant,
at 3-6 months one was significant (the percentage of the population living more
than two to a room) and at 6-12 months all three were significant. For the post-neonatal
period as a whole (1-12 months) the correlation between infant mortality and the
percentage in Social Classes IV and V was insignificant, but the other two correlations
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