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
Battersea 1933
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Battersea Borough]
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| 1928. | 1929. | 1930. | 1931. | 1932. | Mean 1928-32 | 1933. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deaths from Puerperal Sepsis | 3 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3.2 | 4 |
| Deaths from other causes connected with child-birth | 4 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 5.0 | 1 |
| Total Maternal Deaths con-nected with child-birth | 7 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 4 | 8.2 | 5 |
| Rate per 1.000 births— | |||||||
| Puerperal Sepsis | 1.09 | 0.76 | 1.51 | 2.02 | 0.86 | 1.25 | 1. 77 |
| Other Maternal deaths | 1 .46 | 1.15 | 2.26 | 4.04 | 0.86 | 1.95 | 0.44 |
| Rate per 1,000 births all Ma. ternal deaths in child-birth | 2.55 | 1.91 | 3.77 | 6.06 | 1.72 | 3.20 | 2.21 |
| Rate per 1.000 population— | |||||||
| Puerperal Sepsis | .018 | .012 | .025 | .031 | .013 | .020 | .026 |
| Other Maternal deaths | .024 | .019 | .037 | .063 | .013 | .031 | .006 |
| Rate per 1,000 population all Maternal deaths in child-birth | .042 | .031 | .062 | .094 | .026 | .051 | .032 |
There was, it will be noted from an examination of the above
table, a slight increase in maternal mortality in Battersea in
1933. In accordance with the instructions of the Ministry of
Health, each of the 5 deaths of Battersea mothers was carefully
investigated and reports were submitted to the Ministry in connection
with the Departmental Committee which was set up in
1928, and whose final report has recently been published.
The importance of the provision of facilities for the ante-natal
examination of expectant mothers cannot be over-estimated. In
Battersea in 1933 there were 2,263 live births registered in the
Borough, and 1,042 of the mothers attended the ante-natal clinics
of the Council, and in the other cases made arrangements
with their own doctors or midwives or hospitals. The maternal
mortality rates amongst the mothers attending ante-natal clinics
are invariably found to be lower than amongst those not attending
such clinics.
Attention was drawn in the last Annual Report to the failure
of midwives practising in the Borough to avail themselves of the
facilities provided by the Council for this purpose. The OutPatient
department at the Borough Maternity Hospital is an
admirably equipped Ante-Natal Clinic to which doctors or midwives
can refer expectant mothers for examination and report by the
Consultant Specialist, who attends the clinic on three days weekly.
It is unnecessary to stress the vital importance of the subject, in
view of the interest aroused by the Reports issued by the Departmental
Committee referred to above.