Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Stoke Newington, The Metropolitan Borough]
This page requires JavaScript
Continued from previous page...
1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Infants born | 1,073 | 937 | 960 | 876 | 842 |
Home Visits, Primary | 1,173 | 1,073 | 1,088 | 1,126 | 1,139 |
,, ,, Secondary | 2,424 | 3,042 | 3,558 | 4,006 | 4,023 |
Number of Children on Registers at Welfare Centres | 1,059 | 1,032 | 990 | 955 | 970 |
Attendances of Children for Weighing and Consultation | 9,198 | 7,640 | 8,833 | 8,911 | 9,163 |
Attendances of Mothers for Advice, etc. | 6,344 | 6,429 | 7,008 | 6,338 | 5,462 |
Attendances of Mothers at Ante-Natal Consultations | 177 | 176 | 178 | 242 | 256 |
Attendances of Mothers at Needlework Class | 580 | 382 | 347 | 418 | 423 |
The causes contributing to a high rate of infant mortality
have been discussed in certain of my Annual Reports.
The fact that there is no decrease in the deaths resulting from
Premature Birth is the one discouraging circumstance which emerges
from the study of the particulars of our infant mortality in Stoke
Newington. It is not easy to account for this. Such deaths should,
having regard to all that has been done in recent years, be on the
decrease.
The developed ante-natal work that can reduce the number of
deaths in the first month of life should bring about a reduction in
the considerable number of premature and still-births, 50 per cent,
of which are believed to be preventable. Under the Notification
of Births Act, 1907, all births, even those of dead infants, which
occur after 28 weeks of gestation must be notified to the Medical
Officer of Health. It is realised that there are reasons for hesitating
to demand notification of much earlier deaths, but it would be of
material assistance to the maternity and child welfare work if the
period of 28 weeks could be reduced to 20 or to even 24.