London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Willesden 1949

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]

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Table 3.

Death Rate Under One Year per Thousand Live Births by Cause of Death in Willesden.

1936.391940.451946.491936.39 1946.49 Percentage Reduction
DeathsRateDeathsRateDeathsRate
Respiratory1069.141409.59574.3452.51
Diarrhoea and Enteritis13111.291087.40312.3679.09
Other Infections342.93402.73110.847.13
Congenital Malformations837.16896.10604.5736.17
Premature Births17014.6617912.25836.3356.82
Injury at Birth211.81332.26352.67+ 32.21
Other Causes13111.2915110.34937.0937.20
All Causes67658.2874050.6737028.2051.61

Table 3 shows that the most marked improvements took place in the death rates from infection and
from prematurity, but there has been an increase in the rate from injuries at birth. In 1949, 18 of the 20 deaths
from infection, and the majority of the deaths from prematurity, took place in the poorer wards (see Table 4).

Prematurity.

Table 4.

Premature Births and Deaths by Wards.

CarltonKilburnBrondesbury ParkKensal RiseManorHarlesdenStonebridge
No. of Births in Home (Deaths in brackets)4023031
No. of Births in Hospital (Deaths in brackets)13(5)5(2)4(0)10(2)15(4)12(1)14(0)
RoundwoocChurch EndWillesden GreenMapesburyNeasdenCricklewoocTotal
No. of Births in Home (Deaths in brackets)8(1)3(3)320130 (4)
No. of Births in Hospital (Deaths in brackets)13(0)11(0)14(0)9(1)4(2)6(1)130(18)

Table 5.

Premature Births and Deaths.

YearNumber of Births in Home (Deaths in brackets)Number of Births in Hospital (Deaths in brackets)Number of Home Births transferred to Hospital (Deaths in brackets)Total
194647(1)128(18)12 (10)175 (29)
194752 (0)121 (13)4(4)173 (17)
194847 (2)149(19)10(5)196 (26)
194930 (4)130 (18)1 (0)160 (22)

There were 160 premature births with 22 deaths.
Table 5 shows the urgent need for carrying out the recommendation suggested in the 1948 Report,
i.e., the provision of a special premature unit at the hospital, and home nurses specially trained in the care of
premature infants.
Still Births
The still.birth rates during the period under review showed similar trends as the infant mortality rate,
although the decline was not so rapid. The still.birth rates for the wards in the period 1946.49 showed similar
differences as in the infant mortality rate (see Table 2). There was a slight increase in the still.birth rate and
the infant mortality rate in 1949, which was particularly marked for children who died in the first week
ot life