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
Hackney 1916
Report on the sanitary condition of the Hackney District for the year 1916
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43
It is matter of common knowledge that infants under one year
of age suffer from a very high death rate ; but it is not so generally
known that a large part of this mortality is directly traceable to
conditions affecting the mother during child-bearing, and at birth.
Again, although the death rate is high under one year of age, it is
also very considerable up to five years of age. The mortality
amongst mothers during child-bearing and child-birth is also
considerable.
The Mother during Child-bearing and Child-birth.
Both mother and child are exposed to special perils during this
period, which may lead to the death of either or both, or to subsequent
ill-health and suffering of the mother, and feeble vitality of
the infant. The dangers threatening the mother are chiefly puerperal
fever and other complications.
The annual death rates per 1,000 births for the County of London and the Borough of Hackney from these causes during the four years 1911-1914, were as follows:—
| Puerperal fever. | Other complications of child-birth. | Total mortality from child birth. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | 1.48 | 1.86 | 3.06 |
| Hackney | 1.54 | 1.54 | 3.08 |
Expressed in words, these figures mean that during the four
years in question (1911-1914) there died in London 1,356 mothers
and in Hackney 66 mothers, from puerperal fever and other complications
of child-birth.
On this subject the Chief Medical Officer of the Local Government
Board, Dr. A. Newsholme, C.B., makes the following remarks
in his report on Maternal Mortality in connection with childbearing:—