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
Greenwich 1934
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough]
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98
Notification of Births Acts, (1907 and 1915).
All live births and all still births after 28th week of pregnancy
must be notified within 36 hours. Early knowledge enables the
Health Visitors to begin early visiting. Still-births must be certified
either by the Doctor or by the Midwife or by declaration on a
prescribed form, if no doctor or midwife was present. In these latter
cases the Minister of Health requires the Medical Officer of Health
to submit a special report in order that he may be satisfied that the
child was really still-born.
The following Table gives the number and character of the intimations received respecting births in the Borough : —
| 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Number of Births notified in each year | 1,995 | 2,063 | 2,115 | 2,004 | 1,913 | 1,949 | 1,705 | 1,891 |
| (a) Attended by Mid-wives | 1,592 | 1,727 | 1,812 | 1,712 | 1,633 | 1,699 | 1,490 | 1,667 |
| (b) Attended by Doctors | 403 | 336 | 303 | 292 | 280 | 250 | 215 | 224 |
| Numbers of Still Births notified each year | 82 | 71 | 50 | 42 | 40 | 65 | 39 | 60 |
| Number of Births registered in each year | 1,912 | 1,939 | 2,042 | 1,951 | 1,838 | 1,862 | 1,652 | 1,847 |
Milk, &c., Scheme.
The Council has continued to supply milk, etc., to necessitous
cases, each case being investigated especially as to its financial condition
before a supply is granted. The milk may be granted free
or at a reduced cost to:—
(a) Nursing Mothers;
(b) Expectant Mothers in the last 3 months of pregnancy;
(c) Children up to 3 years of age.
In addition dinners may also be given to nursing and expectant
mothers where the family income falls within the Council's scale. It
is a condition that these dinners must not be taken home, but must
be consumed by the mother herself on the premises.
Particulars of the amount of milk, etc., distributed will be found
in the following tables. The approximate cost to the Council under
this heading during the year was £6,500.