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 1961
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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| Year | London | England and Wales | Year | London | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | 32.6 | 37.5 | 1957 | 34.2 | 36.3 |
| 1953 | 34.7 | 36.9 | 1958 | 34.3 | 35.1 |
| 1954 | 32.8 | 38.1 | 1959 | 32.7 | 34.2 |
| 1955 | 34.8 | 37.4 | 1960 | 31.2 | 32.9 |
| 1956 | 33.3 | 36.7 | 1961 | 32.0 | 32.2 |
The causes of death in the first seven days of life are shown in table (vii) on page 10.
It will be apparent from the preceding section that premature babies provided the major
share. The cause of stillbirth, the other component of perinatal mortality, was not known
until certification was introduced on 1 October, 1960 under the Population (Statistics) Bill,
1960. The following table gives the causes for 1961, but on the basis of the 1960 certificates
only about two-thirds of them were certified by medical practitioners.
Table (x)—
| Code No.* | Cause | Male | Female | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Per cent. | Number | Per cent. | ||
| Y.30 | Chronic disease in mother | 23 | 3.9 | 17 | 3.3 |
| Y.31 | Acute disease in mother | 3 | 0.5 | 1 | 0.2 |
| Y.32 | Diseases and conditions of pregnancy and childbirth: | ||||
| (1) Ectopic gestation | 1 | 0.2 | — | — | |
| (2) Haemorrhage | 52 | 8.8 | 37 | 7.3 | |
| (3 and 4) Toxaemia | 79 | 13.3 | 69 | 13.6 | |
| (5) Infection | 2 | 0.3 | 1 | 0.2 | |
| Y.34 | Difficulties in labour | 57 | 9.6 | 39 | 7.7 |
| Y.35 | Other causes in mother | 5 | 0.8 | 3 | 0.6 |
| Y.36 | Placental and cord conditions | 151 | 25.4 | 110 | 21.5 |
| Y.37 | Birth injury | 14 | 2.4 | 11 | 2.2 |
| Y.38 | Congenital malformation of foetus | 59 | 9.9 | 80 | 15.7 |
| Y.39 | Diseases of foetus and ill-defined causes: | ||||
| (0-3) Diseases of foetus | 20 | 3.4 | 27 | 5.3 | |
| (4—6) Other ill-defined or unspecified cause | 128 | 21.5 | 114 | 22.4 | |
| Total | 594 | 100.0 | 509 | 100.0 | |
* International classification of causes of stillbirth.