View report page

192
had had a shock or a fall before the still birth. In 28 instances
the mother had attended the Ante-Natal Clinic. 40 cases had
never attended the Clinic.
Attendance at Confinement.—Twenty-five of the still births
investigated occurred in the Mayday Hospital; 10 in St. Mary's
Hospital; 21 were attended in their own homes by a private
medical practitioner either alone or in conjunction with a midwife;
6 were attended by a midwife alone, and 3 births occurred
before any skilled help was available; 3 occurred in private
nursing homes.
Forceps were reported to have been utilised in 16 of the cases,
while in 5 no record was available.
In 44 cases the baby was born at full term; in 12 during the
8th month of gestation ; in 10 during the 7th month; and in 1
under 7 months. One case was stated to be over the 9th month.
The baby was apparently a normal child in 39 cases, abnormal in
9, whilst in 20 no record was available.
The still birth was the first pregnancy in 25 instances; the
2nd in 14; the 3rd in 7; the 4th in 9; the 5th in 2; the 6th in 4;
the 7th in 5; the 8th in 1 ;and beyond in 1.
Previous still births had occurred in 8 cases.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
Ten cases were notified during 1933. The fluctuations in
the number of notifications since 1926, the date of the passing of
the Ophthalmia Neonatorum regulations, is remarkable. Under
these regulations notification by midwives ceased. Prior to 1926
the number of notifications remained fairly uniform, and it would
appear as if only the most severe cases are now brought to the
attention of the Authority.
The following table gives the notifications in Croydon during
the past eleven years:—