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84
v.—MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE
As has been previously pointed out, in a moderately small area like Shoreditch
the annual mortality rates for both mothers and children are apt to show fairly wide
variations. This is especially the fact with regard to the maternal mortality rate,
where even one death makes a considerable difference in the rate for the borough. An
indication of this wide variability is obtained by considering the rates over the last
five years. For example, in 1934 there was one maternal death giving a maternal
mortality rate of 0.69 per thousand live births, in 1935 there were four deaths, giving
a rate of 3.10, in 1936 there were no deaths, giving a rate of 0.0, in 1937 there were
four deaths, giving a rate of 3.27, and last year there were three deaths, giving a rate
of 2.54.
Similarly with the infant mortality rate. In 1934 there were 122 deaths of
infants under one year of age, giving a rate of 84 per thousand live births, in 1935
there were 67 deaths, giving a rate of 52, in 1936 the deaths increased to 95, giving a
rate of 75, in 1937 the deaths fell to 66, giving a rate of 54, and last year the deaths
increased to 75, making a rate of 64 per thousand live births. It is obvious, therefore,
that it is as a rule unsafe to generalise from yearly figures, but nevertheless I think
it can be said that on the whole the position in Shoreditch is satisfactory.
(a) STATISTICS
INFANTILE MORTALITY
The number of children under one year of age who died in 1938 was 75, of whom
39 were males and 36 females, as compared with 66 (males 36, females 30) for 1937.
The infant mortality rate was 64 as compared with 54 for the previous year, and
an average of 68 for the previous five years. The rate for England and Wales was
53, or 17 per cent., and for London 57, or 11 per cent. lower than the rate for
Shoreditch.
CAUSES OF DEATH
The causes of death of the 75 infants who died in 1938 are set out in table No. 20
facing page 28. The main causes of death were diarrhoea and enteritis (25 deaths) ;
pneumonia (12 deaths) ; prematurity (11 deaths) ; and congenital malformation
(7 deaths). The corresponding figures for the year 1937 for the first three of these
causes was 11, 17 and 14, respectively.