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
Heston and Isleworth 1946
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Heston and Isleworth]
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INFANTILE MORTALITY.—The position in regard to deaths of children under the age of one year is shown below:—
| Year | Heston and Isleworth | England and Wales Rate per 1,000 live births | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. of deaths | Rate per 1,000 live births | ||
| 1939 | 74 | 50 | 51 |
| 1940 | 77 | 58 | 57 |
| 1941 | 73 | 61 | 60 |
| 1942 | 103 | 72 | 51 |
| 1943 | 73 | 47 | 49 |
| 1944 | 71 | 46 | 45 |
| 1945 | 76 | 51 | 46 |
| 1946 | 53 | 29 | 43 |
The rate for 1946 is the lowest in the records of the Borough.
The following table shows the trend of the change in the age distribution of infant deaths:—
| Age at death | % of total infant deaths | Rate per 1,000 live births | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911-15 | 1940-44 | 1945 | 1946 | 1911-15 | 1940-44 | 1945 | 1946 | |
| Under 1 week | 19.8 | 38.3 | 38.2 | 66.0 | 22.2 | 21.5 | 19.6 | 19.4 |
| Under 1 month | 31.4 | 58.8 | 63.2 | 73.6 | 37.3 | 32.9 | 32.5 | 21.6 |
| Under 3 months | 54.7 | 76.6 | 77.6 | 86.8 | 61.1 | 42.9 | 40.0 | 25.5 |
| 3-5 months | 18.8 | 10.2 | 9.2 | 5.7 | 21.0 | 5.7 | 4.7 | 1.7 |
| 6-8 months | 14.0 | 7.1 | 4.0 | 5.7 | 15.7 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 1.7 |
| 9-11 months | 12.5 | 6.1 | 9.2 | 1.9 | 14.0 | 3.4 | 4.7 | 0.6 |
An unusual feature of the infant deaths in 1946 is the high proportion of deaths of boys (45 male, 8 female).
| Cause of death. | Rate per 1,000 live births. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911-15 | 1940-44 | 1945 | 1946 | |
| Prematurity | 22.4 | 15.2 | 12.1 | 11.6 |
| Congenital defects, etc. | 8.0 | 7.5 | 11.5 | 5.5 |
| Bronchitis and pneumonia | 22.0 | 8.8 | 4.7 | 1.1 |
| Gastro-enteritis | 26.9 | 11.2 | 7.3 | 2.2 |
| Other infections | 13.7 | 2.8 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
MATERNAL MORTALITY.—The number of deaths due to causes associated with pregnancy and childbirth and the maternal mortality rates per 1,000 total (live and still) births for the Borough and England and Wales are shown in the following table:—
| Year | No. of deaths | Maternal Mortality Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| H. & I. | H. & I. | E. & W. | |
| 1939 | 5 | 3.4 | 2.8 |
| 1940 | 3 | 2.3 | 2.2 |
| 1941 | 3 | 2.4 | 2.2 |
| 1942 | 4 | 2.8 | 2.0 |
| 1943 | 1 | 0.6 | 2.3 |
| 1944 | 1.9 | 1.9 | |
| 1945 | 3 | 2.0 | 1.8 |
| 1946 | 4 | 2.2 | 1.4 |
The average rate for the Borough for the five years 1934-38 was 3.1, so despite the variation from year
to year in the above table the general tendency is towards a lowering of the rate in the Borough.
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