London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Chelsea 1931

Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health for Chelsea, 1931

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TABLE No. 5. Births in Hospitals and Nursing Homes.

Chelsea Births in Hospitals and Nursing Homes Within the Borough.Chelsea Births in Hospitals and Nursing Homes Outside the Borough.
St. Luke's Hospital and In-stitution159St. George's Hospital43
St. Stephen's Hospital and In-stitution6Queen Charlotte's Hospital23
Clapham Maternity Hospital3
Ormond Maternity Home27General Lying-in Hospital4
Wilbraham Nursing Home9Royal Free Hospital15
Chelsea Hospital for Women-Miscellaneous Hospitals27
Royal Avenue Nursing Home1Nursing Homes48
Total202Total163

From Table No. 4 it will be observed that the number of births of
Chelsea Infants in Hospitals and elsewhere outside Chelsea accounted
for 23.9 per cent. of the total births. In the preceding year the percentage
was 19.1.
NOTIFICATION OF BIRTHS ACTS, 1907.
Under the above Act, all live and stillbirths occurring after the 28th
week of pregnancy must be reported within 36 hours to the Medical
Officer of Health of the district in which the birth takes place. This
information is extremely valuable, as it enables the Health Visitor to
exercise supervision of the mother and child shortly after confinement.
During the year, 997 births, including stillbirths, were notified as
occurring in Chelsea. Of this number, in 440 instances the parents were
resident in other Boroughs, and information of such births was transmitted
to the Medical Officer of Health concerned. Information was received
of 176 births amongst Chelsea mothers in Lying-in hospitals and elsewhere
outside the Borough.
The total number of notified Chelsea births from all,sources was 733.

The following table indicates the source of notification of the 997 births notified in the Borough :— TABLE No. 6.

Notification received fromChelsea Residents.Non-Residents.
Live Births.Still Births.Total.Live Births.Still Births.Total.
Medical Practitioners129413362-62
Midwives237123852-52
Poor Law Institutions165316831313326
Parents1818
549855732713440