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
West Ham 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for West Ham]
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The Classification of causes of deaths in infants under 1 year is as follows:-
| Pneumonia | 4 |
| Eronchitis | 2 |
| Other diseases of respiratory system | 1 |
| Gastritis, Enteritis and Diarrhoea | 3 |
| Congenital Malformations | 9 |
| Other Defined & Ill Defined Diseases | 35 |
| Accidents | 2 |
| 56 |
Although the full details from which the Registrar General compiles his statistics are not accessible to the Health Department, it would appear from such information as is available that the 35 infant deaths classified as "other defined and I11 Defined Diseases" are made up as follows:-
| Prematurity | 14 |
| Prematurity and atelactasis | 2 |
| Atelectasis | 7 |
| Rhesus Incompatibility | 5 |
| Intracranial Birth Injury | 3 |
| Acute Suppurative Meningitis | 1 |
| Intussusception | 1 |
| Cerebral Haemorrhage | 1 |
| Intra Uterine Asphyxia | 1 |
| 35 |
Of the 56 infant deaths, 40 occurred in infants who were under 4 weeks of age, and
of these infants 19 were premature.
Detailed information is available in respect of the 40 deaths of infants under 4 weeks of age, and is shown in the following tables-
| Age | Weight | Place of birth | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| * Under 12 hours | 16 | Over 5½ lbs. | 18 | Born in Hospital | 32 |
| 12 - 24 hours | 2 | Not known | 3 | Born at home | 5 |
| 1-7 days | 19 | Premature | Mot known | 3 | |
| 1-2 weeks | 2 | Under 2 lbs. | 4 | ||
| 3-4 weeks | 1 | 2 lbs. - 3 lbs. | 4 | ||
| 3 lbs. - 4 lbs. | 6 | ||||
| 4 lbs. - 5½ lbs | 5 | ||||
| 40 | 40 | 40 |
x Of which 3 were newborn,
and one was 7 minutes
respectively.
Of the 32 born in hospital 31 died in the hospital in which they were born, and 1
was transferred to another hospital.
55