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 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Battersea Borough]
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District Midwifery Service.
There were 173 cases attended in their own homes by the
District Midwife as compared with 150 in the previous year.
Particulars relating to this service are set out below:—
| Total number of completed cases attended in the district | 173 |
| (Booked in 1937, 45; booked in 1938, 128) Average number of visits to each case | 16•5 |
| Number of cases:— | |
| (a) Delivered by midwife (159 infants) | 157 |
| (b) ,, doctor | Nil |
| (c) Born before arrival (7 infants) | 7 |
| (d) Sent to hospital and confined there (10 infants) | 9 |
| (e) Referred to hospital for ante- or post-natal treatment | 7 |
| Total births (live, 174; still, 2) | 176 |
| Total number of bookings in 1938 | 201 |
| Number thereof cancelled or transferred 32 | |
| „ confined during 1938 128 | |
| „ not confined in that year 41 | |
| 201 |
Nine other cases were attended by the district midwife acting
in the capacity of maternity nurse, a doctor having been engaged
for the confinement. These cases are not included in the foregoing
or following figures.
Number of cases where medical assistance was summoned with reasons for requiring assistance :—
| (a) Ante-natal—6. | (c) After labour—18. | |
| Ante-partum hæmorrhage | 2 | Post-partum hæmorrhage 7 |
| Obstructed labour | 2 | Ruptured perineum 7 |
| Delayed first stage | 1 | Do., with thrombosed varicose veins 1 |
| Complicated breech | 1 | |
| 6 | Pain in leg and groin 1 | |
| Collapse 1 | ||
| Puerperal mania 1 | ||
| (b) During labour—23. | 18 | |
| Prolonged labour | 16 | |
| Malpresentation | 1 | |
| Diagnosis of presentation | 1 | |
| Obstructed labour | 1 | (d) For infant—7. |
| Fœtal distress | 2 | Sticky or watery eyes 4 |
| Extended breech | 1 | Phimosis 2 |
| Complicated breech | 1 | Other reasons 1 |
| 23 | 7 | |
The consultant provided by the Council (vide page 46) was
called to one case in the district service.