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
Croydon 1933
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Croydon]
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176
Cardiac Disease.
There were four cases. One mother died, an "emergency"
case at Mayday Hospital: a mortality of 25 per cent.
One infant was undelivered when the mother died.
Hydramnios.
There were four cases all "booked" at St. Mary's Maternity
Hospital. There were no maternal deaths and two infants were
still-born: a foetal mortality of 50 per cent.
Cases of Albuminuria.
Every patient attending the Ante-Natal Clinic has the urine
tested and the blood pressure recorded at each visit. All cases of
albuminuria (confirmed by catheter specimen) or hypertension
with a diastolic blood pressure of 90 or over, are admitted to
hospital. The routine treatment adopted in hospital was rest,
meat-free diet with a high vitamin content, copious fluids, alkalies
and aperients. Labour was induced if the symptoms and signs did
not disappear in about 10 days, or if they become progressively
worse.
Table LXXIX.
| Mayday Hospital Booked. | Mayday Hospital Emergency | St. Mary's Maternity Hospital Booked. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Cases | 23 | 14 | 27 | 64 |
| Number of Stillbirths and Infant Deaths | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| Foetal and Infant Mortality | 8.7% | 7.1% | 11.1% | 9.4% |
| Number of Maternal Deaths | — | 2 | — | 2 |
| Maternal Mortality | — | 14.3% | — | 3.1% |
| Number of Cases— | ||||
| Responded to treatment and delivered spontaneously near term | 10 | - | 11 | 23 |
| Responded to treatment and discharged to return abnormal | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Responded to treatment and discharged to return normal | 3 | - | 1 | 4 |
| Responded to treatment and discharged, delivered elsewhere | — | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Spontaneous premature labour | 4 | 4 | 6 | 14 |
| Not responding to treatment and labour induced | 5 | 2 | 7 | 14 |
| Not responding to treatment, abortion per vaginam induced | - | 1 | - | 1 |
| Not responding to treatment, hysterectomy performed | — | 1 | — | 1 |
| Died undelivered | — | 1 | — | 1 |