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 1943
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Harrow]
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Table I.
| 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of Live Births | 2999 | 2712 | 3268 | 3500 |
| No. of Deaths of Infants— | ||||
| Under 24 hours | 18 | 16 | 27 | 21 |
| 1 to 7 days | 35 | 28 | 25 | 36 |
| 1 to 4 weeks | 41 | 31 | 14 | 20 |
| 2 to 3 months | 23 | 28 | 19 | 20 |
| 3 to 6 months | 14 | 20 | 6 | 19 |
| 6 to 9 months | 12 | 17 | 9 | 13 |
| 9 to 12 months | 6 | 11 | 3 | 4 |
| Total | 150 | 151 | 103 | 133 |
| Infant Mortality Rate | 50.0 | 55.6 | 31.5 | 38.0 |
| Neonatal Rate | 31.1 | 28.0 | 20.2 | 22.0 |
| No. of Deaths of Children aged One year | 7 | 14 | 13 | 5 |
| Two years | 8 | 8 | 1 | 7 |
| Three years | 6 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| Four years | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
INFANT MORTALITY.
133 (74 male and 59 female) infants died under one year of age,
constituting an infant mortality rate of 38.0.
77 failed to survive one month. The neonatal mortality rate was
therefore 22 constituting 57 per cent. of the total infant mortality rate.
Of these 77, 21 failed to survive the 24 hours, the cause of death in 16
being prematurity, in one abnormality, in one atelectasis, and in two
birth injury. 36 deaths occurred in infants who survived 24 hours, but
failed to survive 7 days. Prematurity was responsible for 13 of these,
atelectasis 3 and developmental abnormalities 17. Of the 20 infants
who survived one week but succumbed before the end of the first month,
in 5 the cause was prematurity, in 4 developmental abnormalities or
atelectasis. Infections accounted for 7 deaths.
Of the 20 deaths amongst those of 1 to 3 months, 3 were due to
developmental abnormalities and one to prematurity; respiratory complaints
accounted for 4 and gastro-enteritis 9.
Infections accounted for most of the 36 deaths of those between 3
and 12 months, of which respiratory complaints were the cause in 13,
gastro-enteritis in 7, tuberculosis in 5, meningitis, measles and whooping
cough in one each.
MORTALITY AMONGST CHILDREN of 1 to 5 years of age.
Infections caused most of the deaths of children of the ages one to
five, pneumonia being responsible for 2, and whooping cough for one of
the deaths of those aged one. Pneumonia caused the death of 3 of those