London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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London County Council 1963

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

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Mortality—A comparison with England and Wales for both neo.natal (deaths in the first four weeks) and infant mortality (deaths in the first year) is as follows:

(Rates per 1,000 live births) Neo.natal mortality EnglandInfant mortality England
YearLondonand WalesLondonand Wales
195415.117.720.725.4
195516.717.323.224.9
195615.916.821.223.8
195716.316.522.023.1
195816.616.222.522.5
195915.715.822.422.2
196015.415.621.521.7
196115.915.521.421.6
196215.215121.021.6
196314.514.221.820.9

As regards neo-natal mortality there were 923 deaths in London; of this number 577
occurred in premature infants. An analysis of the total number of premature births by
birth weight and mortality is shown in the following table. Corresponding figures of
domiciliary confinements are shown in the section on domiciliary midwifery on page 52.

Table (x)— Prematurity and mortality by birth weight,1963.

WeightNumberProportion per 100 live premature infantsDied within 24 hoursSurvived 28 days
NumberPer 100 live premature infantsNumberPer 100 live premature infants
3 lb. 4 oz. or less65513.225839.431648.2
3 lb. 5 oz. to 4 lb. 6 oz87917.8748.476386.8
4 lb. 7 oz. to 4 lb. 15 oz1,03420.9232.299195.8
5 lb. 0 oz. to 5 lb. 8 oz.2,38448.1602.52,30596.7
All premature babies4,952100.04158.44,37588.3

Perinatal mortality—Comparative rates for perinatal mortality (stillbirths and deaths in the first week of life) per 1,000totalbirths are given below for London and England and Wales.

YearLondonEngland and WalesYearLondonEngland and Wales
195432.838.1195932.734.2
195534.837.4196031.232.9
195633.336.7196132.032.2
195734.236.3196229.830.8
195834.335.1196328.729.3

The deaths in the first day of life are shown in table (viii) 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) Act, 1960, and the
following table gives the causes for 1963.
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