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
Merton and Morden 1945
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Merton & Morden]
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TABLE V.
Maternal Mortality, 1925-45.
| Year | Death rate per thousand total births. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sepsis | Other causes | Total | |
| 1925 | - | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 1926 | — | — | — |
| 1927 | — | 2.8 | 2.8 |
| 1928 | — | — | — |
| 1929 | 2.2 | — | 2.2 |
| 1930 | — | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| 1931 | 1.6 | 3.1 | 4.7 |
| 1932 | 5.1 | 2.5 | 7.7 |
| 1933 | 2.9 | 1.4 | 4.3 |
| 1934 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 5.0 |
| 1935 | — | 2.6 | 2.6 |
| 1936 | 2.4 | — | 2.4 |
| 1937 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 2.4 |
| 1938 | 0.98 | 1.96 | 2.94 |
| 1939 | — | 3.93 | 3.93 |
| 1940 | 1.04 | — | 1.04 |
| 1941 | — | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| 1942 | 0.93 | 1.87 | 2.80 |
| 1943 | 0.85 | — | 0.85 |
| 1944 | — | 0.84 | 0.84 |
| 1945 | — | 0.97 | 0.97 |
INFANT MORTALITY.
There were 34 deaths of infants under one year of age,
of whom 20 were male and 14 female.
The infant mortality rate for the year is 33.1 per 1,000
live births as compared with 28.7 for the previous year. The
rate for England and Wales as a whole is 46 per 1,000 live
births.
Of the 34 deaths recorded 29 were neo-natal. This is a
high proportion and conversely 5 deaths other than neo-natal
out of a total of 1,027 births is a very low figure. A high
proportion of neo-natal deaths are attributable to injuries at
birth and is regarded as an index of obstetrics rather than
of infant welfare. Deaths of infants under one year of age
which are not neo-natal are of course an important index of
infant welfare.
Further information with regard to deaths from Prematurity
will be found in the section dealing with premature
babies.
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