[Report 1962] / Medical Officer of Health, Counties of Perth & Kinross.

  • Perthshire (Scotland). County Council.
Date:
1962
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1962] / Medical Officer of Health, Counties of Perth & Kinross. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    In 1962 37 children died under the age of one year giving an Infant Mortality Rate of 26 3 per thousand births compared with 18 4 last year. This is just below the average for Scotland (.26 5). Only three of these deaths were theoretically preventable two cases of pneumonia and one accident. 24 of the infant deaths occurred in the first four weeks of life and the usual causes were prematurity, con genital debility and congenital malformations. Deaths from congenital malformations are not generally classified as preventable but it is becoming increasingly apparent that some are and more might be prevented by careful attention to the health of expectant mothers, particularly in the first three months of pregnancy. It has been convincingly and tragically shown that the foetus, particularly in its early months is prone to damage by the virus of German Measles and by the drug Thalidomide. These discoveries have led to an increased search for other possible infective or toxic agents which might contribute towards neo natal mortality and morbidity, for despite advances in medical treatment, improved social conditions and a higher standard of living, the number of deaths within the first four weeks of life somewhat surprisingly shows no sustained improve ment while at all other ages improvements have been dramatic. It is perhaps merciful that the unfit should not survive but research into the cause of the unfitness should, in time, reduce this early wastage of life. Avoidance of exposure of expectant mothers to the causative agents might become a practicable objective when these agents are more fully known but already some congenital malformations must be regarded as preventable. In this area one deformed child was bom to a mother who had been given Thalidomide but the child did not survive. During the year permission was granted for all midwives in the area to be supplied with blood pressure apparatus, a measure which might contribute towards the reduction in infant and maternal mortality and morbidity . The number of new confirmed cases of respiratory tuberculosis was 27 compared with 45 last year and an annual average number of 55 in the decade 1951/60 Only 40 cases of tuberculosis required in patient treatment in