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13
INSTITUTIONAL AND DOMICILIARY BIRTHS.

It will be seen that although a smaller number of births
took place in Institutions this year (783 as compared with 842
last year), the percentage at 83.5 remains constant. This of
course is because the total number of births this year is lower,
and it shows that there is yet no diminution of the trend towards
Institutional births. It should of course not be forgotten that
it is not until the housing situation improves that we shall know
normal demand on accommodation.
At the present moment, when priority claims on hospital
beds are receiving a great deal of discussion, it is of interest
perhaps to consider the trend of institutional confinements in an
area like Merton and Morden. Appended is a table showing the
figures and percentages since records were first made, and two
further tables showing the Ward distribution of the institutional
births.
It will be seen that in the years before the war the percentage
of institutional births was round about 50 to 55%, and in the
past five years at about 80%. The jump from 50-55% to 80%
seems to have been made when the Maternity block at St. Helier
came into use. The other interesting fact that is revealed by
these figures of Ward distribution is that the heaviest concentration
of institutional births before the war was in the Raynes
Park area, but since St. Helier accommodation became available
St. Helier and Morden Wards provide comparable numbers. It
would seem justifiable to draw two deductions from these facts:
first, that the demand on institutional maternity accommodation
grows with the provision of first class accommodation, and secondly
that it centres round the beds and tapers off as the distance
increases.
These births occurred
in the following hospitals and institutions:—
St. Helier Hospital
419
Nelson Hospital
276
St. Theresa's Hospital
3
Kingston Hospital
10
Other hospitals, institutions and nursing homes
75
783