London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Croydon 1941
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Croydon]
This page requires JavaScript
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE
Notification of Births.
Notifications were received from:-
| Live Births | Still Births | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midwives | 2032 | 35 | 2067 |
| Doctors, Parents & Others | 591 | 28 | 619 |
| 2623 | 63 | 2686 |
Maternal Mortality.
There were 8 deaths directly due to pregnancy, compared with
5 in 1910. The maternal mortality rate was 3.23 per 1,000 births,
compared with 1.65 in 1940. In other words one? mother died for every
309 live babies born.
The deaths directly due to pregnancy were caused by:-
1. Rapture of Uterus. Epileptic form convulsions.
2. Obstetric shock and haemorrhage.
3. Puerperal sepsis and septicaemia.
4. Cardiac failure. haemorrhage. Threatened abortion.
5. Myocardial failure. Fatty degeneration. Parturition.
6. Uraemia (with fits) Chr. Nephritis. months pregnaney.
Caesarean section .
7. Haemorrhage. Ruptured tubal pregnancy.
8. Obstetric shock.
In addition there were three deaths due to Criminal abortion
included by the Registrar General under suicide.
Puerperal Fever and Puerperal Pyrexia.
Fifty three cases of Puerperal Pyrexia were notified.
This is a rate of 19.7 per 1,000 births (live and still births).
Accomodation for Confinement.
The following Table gives information concerning the accomodation utilized for confinements.
| Number | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
| In private houses | 997 | 37.12 |
| In public institutions | 1299 | 48.36 |
| Registered Maternity Homes | 390 | 14.52 |
| 2686 |
Still Births
During 1940, 65 still births were registered in respect of Croydon.
Of these 35 were male babies and 30 female; 2 males and 4 females were
illegitimate. The proportion of still births to living children was as
1 to 41. The still birth rate was 2,5% of the total births.
The still birth rate, on the same basis as for Infant Mortality, was 24.0
per 1,000 births.
54