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

Holborn 1923

Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health, for the year 1923

This page requires JavaScript

Table: From the 395 notifications of birth forms from doctors or midwives, we are able to give the following information as to by whom the mothers were attended at the confinement, etc.:—

From the 395 notifications of birth forms from doctors or midwives, we are able to give the following information as to by whom the mothers were attended at the confinement, etc.:—

Private Doctors102
Private Midwives69
Outpatient Midwifery Departments of General Hospitals and Institutions: —
Externs and others65
Midwives.—Charing Cross Hospital50
University College Hospital39
Middlesex Hospital21
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital4
Other Institutions8
Training Institution for Midwives, Myddleton Square37
395

Text

Copy text to clipboard

Sixteen notifications related to still births, and four notified the births of twins.
The number of births transferred to the Borough from outlying
institutions was 186
The number of births transferred from the Borough to other
districts was 16
The number of net births belonging to the Borough was 593
There are no Maternity Hospitals or Lying-in Institutions in the Borough.

Table: An analysis has been made of the birth cards to ascertain where the mothers living in crowded houses were confined. The information obtained is given below :—

An analysis has been made of the birth cards to ascertain where the mothers living in crowded houses were confined. The information obtained is given below :—

Living inConfined at Home.In Hospital.
No.Percentage.No.Percentage.
One roomed homes100255342
Two „ ,,212536652
Three „ ,,6717129
Four „ „17432

Text

Copy text to clipboard

These figures show that many of the women are confined under very uncomfortable
and unfavourable circumstances.
Home Visiting.

Table: The visits paid to the homes by the Health Visitors during the year were as follows:—

The visits paid to the homes by the Health Visitors during the year were as follows:—

First Visits.Revisits.Total.
Expectant Mothers8690176
Children under 1 year of age5681,3061,874
Children to 12 years of age8626634
Children over 2 years of age11468479
Enquiries re stillbirths23
„ re ophthalmia neonatorum14
Other Visits126

Text

Copy text to clipboard

In addition 681 visits were made by student Health Visitors.
As shown in the above Table, 568 first visits to infants under one year were
paid in 1923, subsequent to the receipt of a notification of birth. Some of these