View report page

Infant Mortality.
The deaths of infants under one year of age numbered 41,
giving a rate of 22.15 per thousand live births as compared
with 39.08 last year. The rate for Ehgland and Wales for the
year is 25.5. Of the infant deaths 32 were -under 4 weeks old,
representing a rate of 17.28 per thousand live births. Last
year there were 39 nco-natal deaths, and the rate was 20.32
per thousand live births. The neo-natal mortality rate for
England and Wales is 17.7 per thousand live births.
On analysing the 41 deaths of infants which occurred in
Stepney this year it is found that 35 died from causes which
from the first probably gave little chance of survival.
Those included 20 casos of prematurity and 13 of congenital
malformation. Of the 20 premature cases 17 died within 24
hours and 14 were below 3-lbs. in weight. Of the 13 cases
of congenital malformation all but one appeared to be incapable
of survival; 9 of these died within a week and 5.
were below 5^-lbs. in weight.
The Tables on page 61 show deaths from stated causes at
various ages under one year, together with comparative figures
over the last 4 years.
Maternal Mortality.
There was only one maternal death this year - a married
woman, aged 42, mother of two childi*$n. She was diagnosed
as pregnant at a Hospital ante-natal clinic in November 1953.
Later she had several small haemorrhages frcm the wanb and
after two periods in two hospitals was delivered by Caesarian
section in about the 30th week of pregnancy on the 2lst
May, 1954, but died the day after. Following a coroner's
post mortem without an inquest the death was registered as
"Placenta praevia, Anaemia, Caesarian section." As this
mother had practically continuous supervision from early
pregnancy, and for the last 92 weeks of her pregnancy was
in hospital, it may be assumed that her death was unavoidable.
Comparative Statistics.
A table showing vital statistics for the Borough from
the year 1901 is given on page 62.
6