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
Ilford 1950
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ilford]
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The following table shows the comparison for Ilford, England and Wales, London, and Towns having a population exceeding 50,000 for the past 10 years:—
| Year. | Ilford | England and Wales | London | Towns with population over 50,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 18.7 | 30 | 26 | 34 |
| 1949 | 20.1 | 32 | 29 | 37 |
| 1948 | 21.7 | 34 | 39 | 32 |
| 1947 | 24.3 | 41 | 47 | 36 |
| 1946 | 29.6 | 43 | 41 | 46 |
| 1945 | 32.7 | 46 | 53 | 54 |
| 1944 | 36.8 | 46 | 61 | 52 |
| 1943 | 35.1 | 49 | 58 | 58 |
| 1942 | 30.6 | 49 | 60 | 59 |
| 1941 | 40.9 | 59 | 68 | 71 |
Illegitimate Births and Deaths.—74 of the live births registered
(43 males and 31 females) were illegitimate, that is 31 per cent of the
births registered.
Four illegitimate children died under one year of age from the •
following causes: —
Atelectasis, aged 12 hours.
Broncho Pneumonia, aged 11 days.
Broncho Pneumonia, aged 14 days.
Congenital Heart disease, aged 7 weeks.
The infant mortality rate of illegitimate children was 54 per 1,000
compared with the infant mortality rate of 17 6 for legitimate children.
The following table shows the birth and death rates of legitimate and illegitimate infants for the past ten years:—
| Legitimate Infants | Illegitimate Infants | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Live Births | Percentage of Registered Births | Deaths | Rate per 1,000 Legitimate Live Births | Live Births | Percentage of Registered Births | Deaths | Rate per 1,000 Illegitimate Live Births |
| 1950 | 2,332 | 96.9 | 41 | 17.6 | 74 | 3.1 | 4 | 54.0 |
| 1949 | 2,567 | 97.6 | 51 | 19.9 | 63 | 2.4 | 2 | 31.7 |
| 1948 | 2,757 | 96.8 | 58 | 21.0 | 91 | 3.2 | 4 | 43.9 |
| 1947 | 3,258 | 96.7 | 78 | 23.9 | 110 | 3.3 | 4 | 36.4 |
| 1946 | 3,336 | 96.9 | 97 | 29.1 | 107 | 3.1 | 5 | 46.7 |
| 1945 | 2,343 | 94.5 | 73 | 31.2 | 136 | 5.5 | 8 | 58.8 |
| 1944 | 2,655 | 95.8 | 95 | 35.7 | 116 | 4.2 | 7 | 60.3 |
| 1943 | 2,532 | 96.6 | 89 | 35.2 | 89 | 3.4 | 3 | 33.7 |
| 1942 | 2,330 | 96.5 | 71 | 30.4 | 85 | 3.5 | 3 | 35.3 |
| 1941 | 1,756 | 96.7 | 61 | 34.7 | 60 | 3.3 | 6 | 100.0 |
In the latter part of 1950 the Ardmore Hostel at Buckhurst Hill, to
which girls had been admitted with their babies where necessary, was
closed down for such cases and the Chelmsford Diocesan Moral Welfare
Association agreed to undertake the care of the unmarried mother and
her child on behalf of the County Council.