[Report 1956] / Medical Officer of Health, Lanark County Council.

  • Lanarkshire (Scotland). County Council.
Date:
1956
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1956] / Medical Officer of Health, Lanark County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    9/244
    COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT Introduction to the Report of Health Conditions in the County during the year 1956 To the Department of Health for Scotland and the County Council of the County of Lanark. Ladies and Gentlemen, I have the honour to submit the Annual Report on the health and sanitary condition of the County of Lanark for the year ended 31st December, 1956. The Report follows the lines laid down over the years, and indicates the work done by the Public Health Department, and also the various vital statistics, by which that work may be judged. Infantile mortality has again increased. The rate in 1956 was 34 deaths per thousand live births. In 1955 it was 31, in 1954 it was 29, and in 1953 it was 34. So there has been no advance over the last four years. It is perhaps worth while trying to follow the trends of infant mortality at the various ages over the last few years. The following small table brings out the point :— 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 Deaths in first week ... Deaths in second, third and 121 111 101 100 101 116 fourth weeks Deaths in second to twelfth 17 19 18 19 22 18 months 80 63 62 87 no 104 Total infant deaths ... 218 193 181 206 233 238 This table shows clearly that, over the years, the deaths in the first month of life remain very constant in number, while those later in the first year have fallen. In 1956, both components showed a rise. The interpretation of this is to be found in the causes of death. Those occurring in the early days and weeks are prematurity, congenital defects of various kinds and the hazards of being born. To a very large extent these are associated with pregnancy and parturition and not with independent existence. In a large measure, therefore, their reduction falls to the obstetrician, both in respect of better care, and of research into causes. The fact that deaths associated with separate existence have also increased cannot be regarded with complacency. These deaths are occurring after the child has come into the care of the health visitor. Three lines need to be followed here. Firstly, an examination of the basic training of Lanarkshire womanhood in preparation for motherhood ; secondly, the training of the expectant mother for mothercraft ; and thirdly, an examination of the best use of the time of the health visitor. The number of women who died from the effects of childbirth was 2, the same as last year. The rate is fractionally lower, because the number of births was greater. The figure remains at a very low level.