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
Barnes 1922
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Barnes]
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14
Vital Statistics.
There were 548 births of legitimate children during 1922, and
only 21 deaths occurred amongst legitimate infants under one year
of age, whereas in the case of illegitimate infants, whilst there were
only 26 illegitimate births, the number of deaths of illegitimate
infants numbered 8 in the year. This gives an Infantile Mortality
rate amongst legitimate infants of 38 per 1,000 legitimate births
contrasted with a rate amongst illegitimate infants of 308 per 1,000
illegitimate births registered.
Illegitimacy increased during the years of war, and the rate
of Infantile Mortality amongst these infants rose to a very high
figure. Illegitimacy has since decreased, but the mortality rate
remains high.
The following table gives the figures for the period 1914-1922.
| Year. | Proportion of Illegitimate Births per 1,000 Total Births Registered. | Infantile Mortahtw | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deaths of Legitimate Infants per 1,000 Legitimate Births. | Deaths of Illegitimate Infants per 1,000 Illegitimate Births. | ||
| 1914 | 50 | 63 | 83 |
| 1915 | 43 | 65 | 519 |
| 1916 | 52 | 48 | 380 |
| 1917 | 81 | 54 | 238 |
| 1918 | 86 | 83 | 132 |
| 1919 | 51 | 70 | 461 |
| 1920 | 41 | 56 | 312 |
| 1921 | 51 | 58 | 182 |
| 1922 | 45 | 38 | 308 |
In the ease of all illegitimate births notified, the infants are
specially "follovved-up" and kept under supervision to endeavor to
reduce the high death-rate amongst them.