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
Brentford and Chiswick 1934
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Brentford and Chiswick]
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27
If we omit No. 7, who obviously had general tuberculosis,
and No. 12, a self-induced abortion, together with Nos. 8, 10
and 17, which were abortions of which we have no particulars,
the total is reduced to 18 and the yearly average to 3.
An analysis of " other causes " may be made as follows :—
| Causes connected with parturition. | Other. | Presumably preventable by Ante-Natal care. | Attended local Ante-Natal Clinic. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | — | 1 (2) | 1 (2) | 1 (2) |
| 1930 | 1 (4) | 1 | 1 (4) | — |
| 1931 | 1(9) | 2 (10,11) | 2 (10, 11) | — |
| 1932 | — | 1 (13) | 1 (13) | — |
| 1933 | 1 (16) | 1 (15) | 1 (15) | 1 (15) |
| 1934 | 2(20,23) | 1 (21) | 1 (21) | — |
| 5 | 7 | 7 | 2 |
(Figures in brackets are the serial numbers in first table.)
As regards the two cases in the above table who attended the
Ante-Natal Clinic, No. 2 suffered from the fulminating type of
eclampsia, a variety which shows little or no premonitory signs.
She attended the Clinic about five days before her death, and
on routine examination her condition appeared to be normal.
No. 15 was sent into hospital with the view to having her
pregnancy terminated. This operation was delayed, however,
to give her a chance of having a viable child.
The above is a report on our local records and it will
perhaps be helpful to append some figures given by the
Departmental Committee who investigated the subject of
Maternal Mortality.
This Committee found that 60 to 70 per cent. of Maternal
deaths are the result of actual childbirth (and between 70 and
80 per cent. if abortions are included). The causes of death
were sepsis 40 per cent., haemorrhage 19 per cent., operative
shock 10 per cent., and abortions, if included, about 13 per cent.
As regards deaths from these causes, Ante-Natal care can do
little to prevent the first two (sepsis and haemorrhage), but
with respect to operative shock, it may help considerably to
lessen the necessity for operative interference.