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
Wimbledon 1961
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wimbledon]
This page requires JavaScript
Although perinatal deaths represent the equivalent of only 3 to 4 per
cent of the country's total births, increasing importance is being paid to
perinatal mortality, as perinatal deaths account for 80% of the total loss
of infant life from the twenty-eighth week of pregnancy to the end of the
first year of life. It follows, therefore, that the most promising way of
reducing infant mortality is by concentrating on the prevention of perinatal
deaths. In Wimbledon, of the 13 infant deaths which occurred during the
year, 10 died in the first week of life.
The following table shows the cause of the 13 infant deaths which occurred during 1961, together with the age at death.
| Cause of death | Under 1 week | 2-3 weeks | Total under 4 weeks | 1-3 months | 3-6 months | 6-9 months | Total deaths under 1 year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Congenital defect or birth injury | 5 | - | 5 | - | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Prematurity and atelectasis | 5 | - | 5 | - | - | - | 5 |
| Accidental death | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 |
| Totals | 10 | - | 10 | - | 2 | 1 | 13 |
- 10 -