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
Harrow 1942
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Harrow]
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29
Of the 29 cases of whom particulars are known, in 18 delivery was
premature, the reason in 12 being toxaemia and in 3 ante-partum haemorrhage.
In 9 instances the infant was alive up to the onset of delivery
at term, the death of seven being due to difficulties in labour.
CHILD MORTALITY.
In the following table is set out an analysis of the ages at which the deaths amongst children under five occurred in each of the four years, 1939 to 1942.
Table I.
| 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of Live Births | 3320 | 2999 | 2712 | 3268 |
| No of Deaths of Infants— | ||||
| Under 24 hours | 19 | 18 | 16 | 27 |
| 1 to 7 days | 36 | 35 | 28 | 25 |
| 1 to 4 weeks | 14 | 41 | 31 | 14 |
| 2 to 3 months | 28 | 23 | 28 | 19 |
| 3 to 6 months | 12 | 14 | 20 | 6 |
| 6 to 9 months | 10 | 12 | 17 | 9 |
| 9 to 12 months | 4 | 6 | 11 | 3 |
| Total | 128 | 150 | 151 | 103 |
| Infant Mortality Rate | 38.5 | 50.0 | 55.6 | 31.5 |
| Neonatal Rate | 20.8 | 31.1 | 28.0 | 20.2 |
| No. of Deaths of Children aged One year | 8 | 7 | 14 | 13 |
| Two years | 6 | 8 | 8 | 1 |
| Three years | 4 | 6 | 3 | 5 |
| Four years | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
INFANT MORTALITY.
103 (59 male and 44 female) infants died under one year of age,
constituting an infant mortality rate of 31.5.
66 failed to survive one month. The neonatal mortality rate was
therefore 20.2 constituting 66 per cent. of the total infant mortality
rate. Of these 66, 27 failed to survive the 24 hours, the cause of death
in 16 being prematurity, in 3 abnormality and in 7 atelectasis. 25
deaths occurred in infants who survived 24 hours, but failed to survive
7 days. Prematurity was responsible for 14 of these, birth injury for 5,
and developmental abnormalities 4. Of the 14 infants who survived
one week but succumbed before the end of the first month, in 4 the cause
was prematurity, in 1 birth injury, in 6 developmental abnormalities
or atelectasis. Infections accounted for only one death.
Of the 19 deaths amongst those of 1 to 3 months, 4 were due to
developmental abnormalities and 4 to prematurity; respiratory complaints
accounted for 7 and gastro-enteritis 2.