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 1934
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Barking]
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Causes of Neo-Natal deaths :—
| Under 1 week. | 1—2 weeks. | 2—3 weeks. | 3—4 weeks. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atelectasis Neonatorum | 1 | _ | 1 | - | 2 |
| Bronchitis | — | 1 | — | - | 1 |
| Cerebral Diplegia | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
| Cerebro-spinal Fever | — | — | — | — | — |
| Congenital Debility | 6 | — | — | 1 | |
| Congenital Malformation | — | 1 | 1 | — | |
| Convulsions | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
| Dermatitis | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| Enteritis | — | — | — | — | _ |
| Gastritis | — | — | — | — | — |
| Icterus Neonatorum | 1 | 1 | — | — | 2 |
| Inanition | 1 | 1 | — | — | 2 |
| Injury at Birth | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
| Marasmus | 1 | — | — | 1 | 2 |
| Measles | — | — | — | — | — |
| Meningitis | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nephritis | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pemphigus Neonatorum | — | — | 1 | — | 1 |
| Pneumonia | — | — | 1 | — | 1 |
| Prematurity | 9 | 2 | 1 | — | 12 |
| Septicaemia | — | — | 2 | — | 2 |
| Thymus enlarged | — | — | — | — | — |
| Toxaemia | — | — | — | — | — |
| Unascertainable—decomposed | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
| Totals | 23 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 39 |
Points of note in the preceding table are the large numbers of deaths occurring
in the first four weeks of life and the frequency with which prematurity is the cause
of death especially in the first four days of life. A closer survey of the data available
shows the frequent association of marasmus and congenital debility with
prematurity. It will be seen that there are seventy-one deaths under the age of
one year, of which no less than thirty-nine were four weeks of age or under, and
that prematurity is given as the causc of death for no less than twelve babies who
died within the first four weeks of life.
During the remaining eleven months of life it will be seen that bronchitis and
pneumonia account for nearly half the deaths and I am persuaded that some of these
deaths are due to environment.
We have noted too that the second and third years of life have a considerable
mortality due to bronchitis and pneumonia which are frequently complications of
measles. There can be no doubt that measles is taking the place of scarlet fever
as a killing disease and I hope that measles will be regarded more and more as a
serious disease requiring hospital treatment.