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

Barking 1913

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Barking]

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Table: In those cases artificially fed, the nature of the bottle found in use was as follows :—

In those cases artificially fed, the nature of the bottle found in use was as follows :—

1911.1912.1913
Boat-shaped283632
Other styles635

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In only 18 cases was the mother employed, as compared with
16 and 23 in the previous two years.

Table: The last column gives the percentage dying in first year, based on the experience of the years 1912-1913 :—

The last column gives the percentage dying in first year, based on the experience of the years 1912-1913 :—

Total Numbers 1913Numbers dying in first year 1913Percentage 1912 and 1913
Attended by Doctors4123610.2
Attended by Midwives522578.5
Mother Defective or 111351965.9
Ophthalmia Neonatorum11114.8
Breast Fed695596.9
Artificial Feeding241017.7
Mixed2527.9
Mother Employed1839.1
Cradle Used149166.37
Dirty Houses16415.6
Illegitimates9222.2

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From the above percentages, assuming that the numbers
were large enough to be beyond the errors of random sampling,
we would deduce the following factors as being prejudicial to the
infant, placing them in order of merit:—Illness on part of the
mother comes top, then illegitimacy, artificial feeding, dirty