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 1964
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Heston and Isleworth]
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INFANT MORTALITY. During 1964 there were 28 deaths of children under
the age of 1 year. This represents an infant mortality rate per 1,000 live
births of 19. 0 as compared with 20.0 for England and Wales.
The causes of infant deaths are shown in Table V. In the following table, the change in the local infant mortality rate over 5 year periods from 1898 is shown:-
| No. of live births. | No. of deaths under 1 year. | Infant Mortality rate. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1898 - 1902 | 4,369 | 698 | 160 |
| 1903 - 1907 | 5,264 | 665 | 126 |
| 1908 - 1912 | 5,383 | 590 | 110 |
| 1913 - 1917 | 4,661 | 461 | 99 |
| 1918 - 1922 | 4,326 | 327 | 76 |
| 1923 - 1927 | 4,333 | 271 | 63 |
| 1928 - 1932 | 6,055 | 318 | 53 |
| 1933 - 1937 | 7,121 | 313 | 44 |
| 1938 - 1942 | 6,912 | 393 | 57 |
| 1943 - 1947 | 8,210 | 345 | 42 |
| 1948 - 1952 | 6,680 | 146 | 22 |
| 1953 - 1957 | 6,157 | 134 | 22 |
| 1958 - 1962 | 6,740 | 131 | 18 |
| 1963 | 1,487 | 17 | 11 |
| 1964 | 1,477 | 28 | 20 |
These infant deaths can be viewed more closely by looking at the rates
According to age at death:-
Total infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births
(deaths under 1 year) 20.0
Neo-natal mortality rate per 1,000 live births
(deaths under 4 weeks) 16.2
Early neo-natal mortality rate per 1,000 live births
(deaths under 1 week) 13.5
In other words 86 per cent of these deaths occurred before the babies
reached the age of four weeks.
It is thought that the same factors are probably in operation in relation
to stillbirths and early infant deaths and that it is a matter of degree or
chance whether the child dies before or soon after birth. This loss of infant
life can be expressed collectively in what is called the perinatal mortality
rate (stillbirths and deaths under 1 week combined per 1,000 total live and still
births). For 1964 the Borough perinatal mortality rate was 22.1 as compared
with 19.1 in 1963.
MATERNAL MORTALITY. No death was due to causes associated with pregnancy and childbirth. Maternal deaths are usually divided into those due to septic infection and those due to diseases and other conditions associated with pregnancy and labour, and the local trend of deaths from these two causes is shown below: -
| Maternal deaths per 1,000 total live and still births). | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sepsis | Other Causes | Total | |
| 1930 - 1934 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 4.4 |
| 1935 - 1939 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 3.1 |
| 1940 - 1944 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 1.9 |
| 1945 - 1949 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 1.4 |
| 1950 - 1954 | - | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| 1955 - 1959 | - | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| 1960 | - | - | - |
| 1961 | - | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| 1962 | - | - | - |
| 1963 | - | - | - |
| 1964 | - | ||