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
Islington 1926
Seventy-first annual report on the health and sanitary condition of the Metropolitan Borough of Islington
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11
[1926
REPORT ON MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE WORK.
Municipal Health Visitors.
OPHTHALMIA NEONATORUM AND OPHTHALMIA.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum is an inflammatory disease with purulent discharge
occurring- in the eyes of infants within three weeks of birth.
107 cases of Ophthalmia Neonatorum were notified.
33 cases of Ophthalmia were reported by the London County Council.
46 out of the 107 cases of Ophthalmia Neonatorum were attended at birth by
midwives.
The cases occurred in the sub-registration districts as follows:
| Tufnelt. | Upper Hollo-way. | Toll-ington. | Lower Hollo-way. | Highbury. | Barns-bury. | South East. | The Borough | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum. | 15 | 19 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 16 | 29 | 107 |
| Cases notified by Doctor | 12 | 17 | 11 | 11 | 3 | 16 | 29 | 99 |
| Cases notified by Certified Midwives | 3 | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 8 |
| Ophthalmia. | 4 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 46 |
| Cases reported by L.C.C. | — | 1 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 12 | 33 |
| Cases reported by Health Visitors | 2 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 4 |
| Reported by others | 2 | 1 | — | 3 | 2 | — | 1 | 9 |
Of the 153 cases investigated, both of the infants' eyes were affected in 125
instances, whilst in, 18, the right eye was. involved, and in 10 the left.
Treatment.—13 of 107 Ophthalmia Neonatorum cases were admitted to
St. Margaret's Hospital.
34 of 107 Ophthalmia Neonatorum cases were treated at home by private
Doctors.
54 cases of inflammatory disease of infants' eyes were nursed by the North
London Nursing Association for the Council at the cost of £47 14s. (In 1925,
28 cases were nursed at the cost of £28 3s.
Results.—.The Ophthalmia Neonatorum cases were with one exception
cleared up, a baby girl having left eye impaired by opacities.
There was no fatal case during the year.