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13
rate for the country as a whole was 27 6, and for the district for 1951 was
221. The rates for the years 1946 and onwards were 31 0, 24 0, 28 8,
20.7, and for the year 1950 the exceedingly low figure of 13.6.
Of the 15 deaths which occurred in those who failed to survive 24
hours, six were of those prematurely born; four infants had congenital
defects and in three the mothers had had difficult confinements. 23
infants survived 24 hours but failed to survive one week. In the case
of eight, delivery had been difficult; six suffered from congenital defects
and in five births were premature. All but one of the seven who lived
one week but failed to survive one month, suffered from congenital
defects. Infections of the lung accounted for three of the six deaths of
those who died between the ages of one and three months, of six of the
seven who died between three and six months, and of two of the three
deaths of those who lived six months but who died before reaching one
year of age.
Stillbirths.
Only 53 stillbirths were registered in this district last year, this giving
a rate of 0.24 per thousand population or 18.2 per thousand births, figures
well below those of 0 35 and 22.6 for the country as a whole.
Mortality of Infants between 1 to 5 Years of Age.
Eight children survived their first but did not reach their fifth birthdays,
the numbers in each year of age being 2, 4, 0 and 2. Of these
deaths, developmental abnormalities caused three and non-infective
diseases two; infections caused two of the deaths.
Maternal Mortality.
There were four deaths primarily due to or associated with pregnancy
or childbirth. The maternal mortality rate was therefore 13. The figure
for the country as a whole was 0.7.
The first death was that of a woman of 41 years who had arranged
to be confined in hospital. She was admitted at term, and was medically
induced. A precipitate labour was followed by post-partum haemorrhage.
The second fatality was that of a woman of 36 who had arranged to be
confined in a maternity hospital; delivery was followed by post-partum
haemorrhage. The third fatality was that of a woman of 32 who had
booked at and was delivered at a maternity hospital, and was due to
eclampsia and toxaemia of pregnancy occurring after delivery. The
certificate of the remaining death read: 1 (a) uraemia; (b) chronic
arteriosclerotic nephritis and hypertension; (c) toxaemia of pregnancy.
The pregnancy, however, was some 20 years before the death.
Deaths from Accidents.
During the year there were 95 deaths (70 male and 25 female) from
violent causes. Of these 44 were the result of the railway accident at
the Harrow and Wealdstone Station on 8th October, 1952. Of this
figure 28 were of those who lived in the district; 16 were of persons
whose homes were not in England or Wales, and whose deaths therefore
had to be allocated to the district in which they occurred.