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
Beckenham 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Beckenham]
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INFANTILE MORTALITY.
The number of deaths among infants under the age of 12 months
was 31 as compared with 28 in 1936 and 33 in 1937.
The Infantile Mortality Rate for the year was 34.792 per 1,000 births.
| Disease | Weeks | Total under 1 mth. | Months | Total under 1 year | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 1 | 1 to 2 | 2 to 3 | 3 to 4 | 1 to 3 | 4 to 6 | 7 to 9 | 10 to 12 | |||
| 1. Congenital Heart Disease | 2 | 2 | - | - | 4 | - | - | - | - | 4 |
| 2. Pyloric Stenosis | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | 2 |
| 3. Congenital Atresion of Rectum | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| 4. Spina Bifida | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 |
| 1. Prematurity | 9 | - | - | - | 9 | - | - | - | - | 9 |
| 2. Want of Attention at at Birth | 2 | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| 3. Inter-cranial haemorrhage | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| 4. Congenital Debility | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| 5. Difficult Labour | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| 1. Broncho-Pneumonia | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | 1 | - | 3 |
| 2. Streptococcal Septicaemia | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| 3. Gastro-Enteritis | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 |
| 1. Accidental Suffocation | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | 2 |
| 2. Haemorrhagic Disease of the Newly-born | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| 18 | 3 | - | - | 21 | 6 | 2 | 1 | - | 30 | |
Local records only cover 30 cases.
The neo-natal death rate (deaths within the first week) is 20.20
per 1,000 births, compared with 17.74 in 1937 and 12.77 in 1936.
Of the 30 Infant deaths recorded in the Table above, 4 were
not due to disease, being caused by accidents and neglect, and could
have been prevented. Of the nine deaths due to Prematurity, three
occurred in Twin Pregnancies and three more were due to Toxaemias
of Pregnancies; in addition to these, there were two deaths due to
abnormalities in labour. Study of these particulars suggests that
in the future Infantile Mortality Rates of 20 per 1,000 or under are
well within the bounds of possibility.
10