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
Kingston upon Thames 1954
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kingston-upon-Thames]
This page requires JavaScript
The approximate infant mortality rate for 1954 and the rates since 1949 are shown for purposes of comparison.
| 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingston-upon-Thames | 20 | 30 | 24 | 24 | 20 | |
| England and Wales | 32 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 26 | 25 |
It will be seen from the following figures that since the war ended the Quinquennial Infant Mortality Bate has been more than halved.
| Period | Infant Mortality Rate |
|---|---|
| 1921 - 1925 | 69 |
| 1926 - 1930 | 56 |
| 1931 - 1935 | 56 |
| 1936 - 1940 | 46 |
| 1941 - 1945 | 52 |
| 1946 - 1950 | 25 |
The following are the numbers in age groups of Kingston children who died during 1954 in the Borough before reaching the age of one year, together with the cause of death;-
| Age | Total Death | Acute Bronchitis | Meningitis | Tentorial tear | Prematurity | Atelectasis | Broncho Pneumonia | Asphyxia Neonatorum | Congenital heart disease | Hydrocephalus and Spina Bifida |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 - 24 hours | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
| 24hrs.- 1 mth, | 5 | — | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 1 mth. - 1 yr. | 4 | 1 | — | — | _ | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 |
| Totals | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |