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*Interval between maternal condition and death exceeded 12 months.
Births
There was a slight increase in the birth rate for 1955, and it appears to be becoming stabilised at
just under 15 per 1,000, a little below that of England and Wales (Page 3).
Infant Mortality
The infant mortality rate remained at the low figure of 20 per thousand. 53 infants aged
one year and under died in 1955 (see table 1), 39 in the neonatal period, the first month of life (37 in the
first week).
(a) By Wards
A much lower figure was attained in the better wards which had rates lower than 20. However,
the infant mortality in Carlton, the worst ward, was nearly three times as high as that in Manor, the best
ward; Stonebridge and Roundwood also showed high figures. Improvement in social conditions in these
wards would help to reduce the mortality to that in Manor and Cricklewood, where the low figures
achieved were 11 and 12 respectively (see table 2).
(b) By Social Class
The number of deaths by social class gives a further illustration of the effects of environment
on infant mortality. No deaths occurred in social class I, only 4 deaths in children of social class II, and
the remaining 49 deaths were in the lower social groups (see table 3).
(c) 1-12 Months
(i) Infections disease and living conditions
There has been considerable reduction in mortality from infection in recent years, but poor living
conditions still play an important part in the cause of death from infections. It can be shown that many
of these deaths could have been prevented if home conditions had been better. No child from social classes
I and II died from inflection in 1955 (see table 8b).
(ii) Deaths from infection
10 deaths occurred; all the deaths were due to respiratory infection (see tables 8a and b, and 9),
and no child died from gastro-enteritis.
Examples are given of cases whose deaths could probably have been prevented. One died from
bronchitis from an overcrowded and mismanaged home. Another child died from bronchopneumonia who
was the 9th illegitimate child in an overcrowded home. Two others died, one of bronchitis, the other of
bronchopneumonia from overcrowded homes (one of the homes had five persons living in one room).