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
Kensington 1927
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington]
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9
Infantile Mortality.
During the year 1927, there were 2,657 births and 176 deaths of children under the age of
twelve months in the Borough. These figures give an infantile mortality rate (deaths of infants
under twelve months to each 1,000 births) of 66, which is the lowest rate but one recorded in the
history of the Borough.
The following table gives the births and the infantile deaths and death rates in England and Wales, London, Kensington and the various Wards of the Borough for the year 1927, and the infantile death rates for the previous four years.
| 1927. | Infantile Mortality Rates in previous four years, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District. | No. of Births. | No. of Deaths of children under 1 year of age. | J Infantile Mortality rate. | ||||
| 1926 | 1925 | 1924 | 1923 | ||||
| England and Wales | 654,969 | 45,346 | 69 | 70 | 75 | 75 | 89 |
| London | 73,263 | 4,294 | 59 | 64 | 67 | 69 | 60 |
| The Borough | 2,657 | 176 | 66 | 60 | 78 | 75 | 70 |
| North Kensington | 1,851 | 135 | 73 | 68 | 83 | 87 | 86 |
| South Kensington | 664 | 35 | 53 | 51 | 65 | 50 | 37 |
| Wards. | |||||||
| St. Charles | 382 | 33 | 86 | 55 | 91 | 69 | 85 |
| Golborne | 629 | 46 | 73 | 85 | 77 | 99 | 107 |
| Norland | 509 | 32 | 62 | 50 | 99 | 98 | 84 |
| Pembridge | 331 | 24 | 72 | 88 | 87 | 69 | 42 |
| Holland | 200 | 13 | 65 | 81 | 88 | 57 | 51 |
| Earl's Court | 125 | 4 | 31 | 41 | 66 | 38 | 11 |
| Queen's Gate | 79 | 2 | 25 | 54 | 25 | 10 | 32 |
| Redcliffe | 163 | 13 | 79 | 37 | 48 | 71 | 48 |
| Brompton | 97 | 3 | 31 | 64 | 108 | 51 | 36 |
| Ward unknown | 142 | 6 | – | – | – | – | – |
In considering the above and subsequent tables it must be remembered that the deaths of
infants at any temporary address (institution or private house) to which the mother went for her
confinement, and deaths of infants in institutions to which they were transferred for treatment
from the place of birth, are allocated to the district of the usual residence of the mother.
| Period. | England and Wales. | London. | Kensington. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1896-1900 | 156 | 162 | 176 |
| 1901-1905 | 138 | 139 | 144 |
| 1906-1910 | 117 | 114 | 120 |
| 1911-1915 | 109 | 110 | 110 |
| 1916-1920 | 90 | 90 | 96 |
| 1921 | 83 | 80 | 110 |
| 1922 | 77 | 74 | 82 |
| 1923 | 69 | 60 | 70 |
| 1924 | 75 | 69 | 75 |
| 1925 | 75 | 67 | 78 |
| 1926 | 70 | 64 | 60 |
| 1927 | 69 | 59 | 66 |
From the above table, it will be seen that whilst the infantile mortality rate in Kensington
for 1927 shows an increase on the previous year and is higher than the rate for London, it is still
lower than the rate for England and Wales, and that there has been a steady improvement taking
place, in recent years.