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48
Care of Premature Infants.—Of the 1,734 live births occurring in
Ilford during 1952, 85 weighed 5½lbs. or less at birth; 17 of these babies
were born at home and 68 in Hospital (including 6 where the home address
of the parents was outside Ilford).
Of the 17 babies born at home:—
11 were nursed entirely at home;
6 were transferred to hospital;
All survived at the end of one month.
Of the 68 babies born in hospital:—
8 died during the first 24 hours (including one where the home
address was outside Ilford);
5 died between the ages of one day and one month (including one
where the home address was outside Ilford);
55 survived at the end of one month (including 4 where the home
address was outside Ilford).
In addition 40 notifications were received of births outside the district
where the ordinary residence of the parents was in Ilford and the weight of
the infant at birth was 5½ lb. or less. Of these there were:—
3 who died within the first 24 hours (all in hospital);
3 who died between the ages of one day and one month (all in
hospital);
34 who survived at the end of one month.
Infant Mortality.—The number of infants dying within the first year
of life was 44. the total number born being 2,323. The latter figure is
supplied by the Registrar—General for calculating infant and maternal
mortality rates. The infant mortality, or rate of deaths per 1,000 live births,
was therefore 18 94.