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
Bexley 1947
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bexley]
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INFANT MORTALITY, 1947.
DEATHS FROM STATED CAUSES AT VARIOUS AGES UNDER 1 YEAR OF AGE.
| CAUSES OF DEATH AS CERTIFIED | Under 1 week | 1 week and under 2 weeks | 2 weeks and under 3 weeks | 3 weeks and under 4 weeks | Total under 1 month | 1 month and under 3 months | 3 months and under 6 months | 6 months and under 9 months | 9 months and under 12 months | Total deaths under 1 year. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gastro Enteritis | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 8 | |||||
| Congenital malformation and Premature Birth, Birth Injury etc. | 24 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 28 | |||
| Broncho-pneumonia | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 | ||||
| Intussuception | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| T.B. Meningitis | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| Epilepsy | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| Peritonitis Streptoccal Pneumonia | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| 25 | 2 | 6 | I | 34 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 47 |
The number of infants under one year of age who died
during the year 1947 as shown by the table is 47. Thirty-four
of these deaths, that is 72.3 per cent., occurred in the neonatal
period (within one month of birth).
In 1946 the corresponding figure was 60 per cent.
It will be seen that 59.6 per cent, of infantile deaths were
due to congenital malformation and premature birth. Comparatively
little is known of the causes of these conditions but
recent research has provided striking evidence that one of the
factors causing congenital malformation may be virus infections
of the mother, for example, by German Measles, during
the early months of pregnancy. This information may, one
day, make possible, to some extent, the prevention of malformation
by the protection of the expectant mother against
these infections. It is believed that premature births may be
due to certain nutritional factors affecting both mother and
child. It is clear, however, further marked reductions in the
infantile mortality rate will depend on the results of further
research on the causation of these conditions.
20