London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Harrow 1944
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Harrow]
This page requires JavaScript
35
The number of local illegitimate births has increased to a figure
nearly 50 per cent, above that pre-war. Part at least of this increase
is to be accounted for, not by any lowering of moral standards, but
by the difficulties experienced because of war conditions of the couples
being able to arrange a marriage.
The low stillbirth rate (expressed as a rate per thousand births)
is of interest. There is general agreement not only that the nutritional
standards of the country have been well maintained but that that of
some sections of the community has actually improved. The findings
of certain experiments have suggested that an improvement in the stillbirth
rate might follow improved nutrition of the mother. It may be
then that these low rates are the result of the better feeding.
Deaths.
The following table which shows the distribution of the deaths for each sex in various age groups for three of the years shows how this increase is mostly due to extra deaths occurring amongst the more elderly of the population.
| Under 5 | 5/14 | 15/24 | 25/44 | 45/64 | Over 65 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male: | |||||||
| 1938 | 674 | 14.1 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 10.6 | 29.6 | 40.3 |
| 1941 | 885 | 13.0 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 13.0 | 30.2 | 42.1 |
| 1944 | 905 | 8.9 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 8.4 | 30.1 | 50.2 |
| Female: | |||||||
| 1938 | 637 | 10.0 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 17.1 | 21.9 | 46.5 |
| 1941 | 889 | 8.4 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 11.1 | 24.1 | 53.0 |
| 1944 | 876 | 7.0 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 11.4 | 23.9 | 54.6 |
Analysis of the 1941 figures compared with those of 1938 showed
that "The increase of 219 in the deaths of males in the year 1941 over
those for 1938 was contributed to by 104 amongst those of over 65 years
of age and 85 amongst those in the 45 to 64 age group. The 259 increase
of female deaths too was almost entirely to be found in those of the
higher ages, 170 being amongst those of over 65, and 74 in the 45 to 64
age groups. Of the increase in the deaths amongst males, 58 were due
to respiratory complaints, 40 to intracranial lesions and 15 to cancer
(most of these increases being amongst the elderly), and 45 to respiratory
tuberculosis (mostly amongst those of ages 15 to 54); and amongst
the females 48 to cancer, 37 to intracranial lesions, 49 to heart lesions,
and 58 to respiratory complaints, most of these increases being amongst
those of advanced years."
Infant Mortality Rate: The following table sets out details of the
deaths of infants for each of the years, and also the number of deaths
amongst those of 1 to 4 years of age.