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MEDICAL OFFICER'S ANNUAL REPORT
Public Health Department,
Springfield House,
Hayes End Road,
Tel: HAYes 1901. Hayes, Middlesex.
May, 1960.
To the Chairman and Members of the Council,
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,
As requested by the Minister of Health the statistics for
1959 contain more detailed information about infant deaths. In
addition to deaths under 1 year and under 4 weeks the deaths of
infants under 1 week are shown. This figure, taken together
with the number of stillbirths gives the wastage of infant life
caused by birth itself - the perinatal mortality. The perinatal
mortality rate for Hayes and Harlington is 28.3 i.e. higher
than the infant mortality rate which is 17.1. Although the
infant mortality rate compares favourably with the rates for
the County and England & Wales, the fact that it is much lower
than the perinatal mortality rate should make us think. It has
been usual to look on this as a figure which cannot be made
smaller but medical research shows that many congenital abnormalities
are related to illness and poor nutrition of the mother
during pregnancy and as our knowledge increases we may be able
to waste less infant life in the future.
In the table showing causes of deaths in age groups I have
included home accidents. There were 5 of these, 4 of them in
the age group 60 - 89 years and all 5 deaths were due to carbon
monoxide poisoning from coal gas. Coal gas is a useful domestic
tool but it is also a highly lethal weapon which is not treated
with the respect it deserves. Many gas companies operate a free
inspection service for old people and it is a great pity that
more advantage is not taken of it.
The pattern of infectious disease in the district is again
very similar to that of last year, but there has been a slight
increase in the incidence of enteric infections. All these
cases were mild and were confined within the family so far as
we know, but there are almost always children in the families
affected, and I feel that it is the children who help to spread
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