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
Battersea 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Battersea Borough]
This page requires JavaScript
40
and 24 months respectively. Moreover, the course was divided into
two parts, the first (mainly theoretical) of 6 or 18 months' duration,
and the second, chiefly practical, lasting 6 months. Only large
maternity institutions having 500 or more confinements annually
are to be approved for the first period of training.
The Borough Maternity Hospital, which has since 1922 been
an approved institution for the training of pupil midwives is not of
sufficient size to enable it to be approved for the first period of
training, and accordingly application was made in April for its
approval as an institution for the second period. Up to the end
of 1937 the approval of the Board had not been given.
District Midwifery Service.
During 1937 there were 150 cases attended in their own homes
by the District Midwife as compared with 165 in the previous year.
Particulars relating to this service during the year are set out below:—
| Total number of cases attended in the district | 150 | |
| (Booked in 1936, 49 ; booked in 1937, 101) | ||
| Average number of visits to each case | 18 | |
| Number of cases:— | ||
| 133 | ||
| 1 | ||
| (c) Born before arrival (14 infants) | 14 | |
| 2 | ||
| Total births (live, 148 ; still, 2) | 150 | |
| Total number of bookings in 1937 | 184 | |
| Number thereof cancelled or transferred | 30 | |
| „ confined during 1937 | 101 | |
| ,, not confined in that year | 53 | |
| 184 | ||
Number of cases where medical assistance was summoned with reasons for requiring assistance:—
| Albuminuria | 1 | Post-partum haemorrhage 4 |
| — | Do. with collapse and severe vomiting 1 | |
| 1 | ||
| Ruptured perineum 3 | ||
| 8 | ||
| (6) During labour—17. | ||
| Prolonged labour | 12 | Sticky eyes 1 |
| Malpresentation | 1 | Asphyxia 1 |
| Adherent placenta, &c. | 1 | Septic spots 1 |
| Post-partum haemorrhage | 1 | Prematurity 2 |
| Prolapse of cord | 1 | Abrasion of head 1 |
| Extended breech | 1 | Other reasons 3 |
| 17 | 9 | |