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
Orpington 1961
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Orpington]
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Analysis of Causes of Infant Deaths. 1952-1961.
| 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Births (live) | 934 | 927 | 1047 | 1083 | 1219 | 1302 | 1319 | 1388 | 1437 | 1308 | 11,964 |
| Infant Mortality Rate (per 1,000 live births) | 18.2 | 17.2 | 14.3 | 17.5 | 20.5 | 19.2 | 20.5 | 14.4 | 18.8 | 12.2 | 17.3 |
| Atelectasis | — | 3 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 30 |
| Malformation | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
| Gastro-enteritis | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 |
| Prematurity | 9 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 7 | 65 |
| Respiratory Diseases | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 43 |
| Cerebral Haemorrhage | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 11 |
| Meningitis | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Congenital Heart Disease | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 11 | |
| Other Causes | 3 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 39 |
| Totals | 17 | 16 | 15 | 19 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 20 | 27 | 16 | 207 |
Maternal Mortality.
There were no maternal deaths in the Urban District during
1961. The England and Wales maternal mortality rate for the year
was 0.33 per 1,000 (live and still births).
Only three maternal deaths have occurred in the Urban District
during the ten-year period 1952-1961. Two of these were in 1953
and the other in 1957.
Deaths.
Seven hundred and sixty-one deaths appertaining to the Urban
District were registered during the year, giving a death rate of 9.5
per 1,000 total population. The adjusted rate for use when comparing
one area with another is 10.6.
The rate for England and Wales as a whole was 12.0.
Of the Orpington deaths registered, 386 were males and 375
females.
The following statement shows the number of deaths and rates per 1,000 total population for the past ten years:—
| Year. | Number of deaths. | Total. | Death rate per 1,000 population. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | |||
| 1952 | 299 | 266 | 565 | 8.9 |
| 1953 | 328 | 306 | 634 | 9.8 |
| 1954 | 262 | 254 | 516 | 7.8 |
| 1955 | 323 | 301 | 624 | 9.1 |
| 1956 | 344 | 304 | 648 | 9.2 |
| 1957 | 333 | 295 | 628 | 8.7 |
| 1958 | 388 | 359 | 747 | 10.1 |
| 1959 | 400 | 351 | 751 | 10.1 |
| 1960 | 380 | 332 | 712 | 9.4 |
| 1961 | 386 | 375 | 761 | 9.5 |