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ANNUAL REPORT
0F THE
MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH
FOR THE YEAR 1941.
To The Mayor, Aldermen & Councillors
of the Borough of Hendon. September, 1942.
I have the honour to submit my Twelth Annual Report on the health conditions
of the Borough for the year 194-1. It has been prepared in accordance with the
instructions of the Minister of Health as an Interim Report and is consequently
limited in scope and no picture is presented of the social services as a whole,
which I am happy to say, however, have not been adversely affected by war-time
conditions but have in fact been extended.
GENERAL HEALTH CONDITIONS.
Vital Statistics.
The Birth rate showed little variation, being 11.65 per 1000 of the
estimated population, compared with 12.08 in the previous year. The Death rate
however showed a slight reduction from 12.41 to 11.2. There were 81 deaths of
infants under the age of one year, giving an infantile mortality rate of 57 per
1000 live births, as compared with 59 for tho country generally and 71 for the
County Boroughs and greater towns including London. The rate is appreciably
higher than was usual in Hendon in the pre-war years, as shown in the following
Table

An investigation into the cause of this increase in infantile deaths showed that
the majority occurred within the first 4 weeks of life, a large proportion being
attributed to congenital malformations, atrophy, debility and marasmus, including
premature births, conditions which might reasonably be associated with the health
of the mother during the period of gestation.