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
Acton 1901
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Acton]
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10
INFANTILE MORTALITY.
There were 206 deaths registered of Infants under 1 year of age as
against 1211 births; the proportion which the deaths under one year
of age bear to 1,000 births is therefore 170.1 as against 168.5 in the
preceding year.
The following table compares the death-rate of children under one year per 1,000 registered births, and the birth-rate for the last fifteen years:—
| Deaths of Children under One Year, Per Thousand Registered Births. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth-rate per Thousand. | |||
| 1887 | 28.7 | 147 | |
| 1888 | 31.1 | 182 | |
| 1889 | 34.1 | 175 | |
| 1890 | 28.3 | 151 | |
| 1891 | 30.8 | 146 | |
| 1892 | 30.5 | 185 | |
| 1893 | 31.9 | 192.5 | |
| 1894 | 30.2 | 160.6 | |
| 189S | 31.6 | 168.1 | |
| 1896 | 30.3 | 168.9 | |
| 1897 | 30.7 | 198.3 | |
| 1898 | 30.5 | 181.9 | |
| 1899 | 30.7 | 187.2 | |
| 1900 | 28.1 | 168.5 | |
| 1901 | 32.0 | 179.1 | |
Districts with a large, poor population invariably have a high
infant mortality, which swells the general death-rate. If we deduct the
deaths of children under one year of age, our death-rate for 1901 works
out at only 8.3 per 1,006 of the population.
(;
The main causes of our infant mortality are:—
1. Epidemic Diarrhoea.
2. Premature Birth.
3. Overlying.
4. Improper Feeding.