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
East Ham 1934
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for East Ham]
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The number of residents who died outside the area and whose
deaths were transferred was 696. Seventy-one deaths of nonresidents
occurred in the Borough.
The standardised death rate, that is the rate adjusted to
compare with the crude death rate of the country as a whole, or
with the mortality of any local area, was 12.5. This figure is
arrived at by multiplying the crude death rate (11.4) by an
adjusting factor, that for East Ham being 1.10.
It will be seen that there is little variation in the death rate
of the Borough as shown over a period of years, and East Ham
compares favourably with any area throughout England and
Wales. A larger proportion of residents of advanced age with
a correspondingly higher number of deaths may contribute to an
increased death rate. In the absence of a serious outbreak of
epidemic illness or other detrimental factors to health, slight
differences in the rate may be attributed to this cause.
The percentage of total deaths in the various age groups was as follows :—
| Under 1 Year | 1-2 Years | 2-5 Years | 5-15 Years | 15-25 Years | 25-35 Years | 35-45 Years | 45-55 Years | 55-65 Years | 65-75 Years | 75 Years and upwards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.9 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 5.1 | 9.9 | 16.0 | 21-9 | 25-2 |
Infantile Mortality.
Deaths of infants under one year of age numbered 93—
equivalent to an infant mortality rate of 47 per thousand live
births—compared with the rate of 45 for the previous year. The
rate for England and Wales is 59.
The mortality figure is to a great extent an index of the
efficiency of the maternity and child welfare work, and I am
pleased to state that the considerable reduction effected last year
has been practically maintained despite some difficulties.
Six deaths of illegitimate children occurred out of a total of
51 births, giving a mortality rate of 116 as compared with a
figure of 133 per thousand illegitimate live births for the year 1933.
Neo-Natal Mortality.
This rate is obtained by estimating the deaths of infants under
one month per 1,000 live births. It is a helpful guide in considering
the value and extent of ante-natal influences and in furthering the