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
Walthamstow 1958
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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17
TOTAL INFANT MORTALITY
This is defined as the sum of the deaths that occur during
child-birth and during the first year of life.
The attached graph shows the position since 1930:—
If the infant mortality rate for the quinquennium 1931/35,
i.e., 49, had applied to the births during the quinquennium 1951/55
there would have been approximately 369 infant deaths instead of
171. This represents a saving of 198 infant lives in the five-year
period, or, say, 40 infant lives each year.