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
Holborn 1927
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Holborn Borough]
This page requires JavaScript
102
Of the other 12, Brights disease was the most likely cause of one; prematurity
of four; albuminuria of one; ante-partum hæmorrhage of varicose veins one; in
one case the stillborn child was reported to be one of triplets; in two cases the
parent was unable to give any information which could be used in assigning a
probable cause; in the remaining two no information of any kind could be obtained.
Two of the 19 stillbirths occurred in the private practice of a doctor; eight in
the extern practice of an institution and nine in an institution.
Of the mothers of these 19 stillborn children, 13 were known to have had
ante-natal care; of these 13, one was under the supervision of a doctor in private
practice, and 12 attended an ante-natal clinic. One mother (stillbirth was due to
albuminuria) had been advised at the ante-natal clinic to enter hospital for her
confinement, but had refused.
One mother (stillbirth due to breech presentation) stated that as it was her
eighth child she thought it was not necessary to go to an ante-natal clinic.
Illegitimate Births.
The following table gives a summary of the information obtained as a result of enquiries respecting the circumstances of illegitimate babies in the year 1927:
| Number of illegitimate births registered | 53 |
| Number respecting which enquiries were made for further information | 49* |
| Lived with mothers who remained in parents' home | 7 |
| Lived with mothers who went out to work | 2 |
| Boarded out with foster mothers | 4 |
| Lived in Institution | 4 |
| Lived with both parents who lived together permanently | 9 |
| Died in early infancy | 1 |
| Stillborn | 0 |
| No information (gone away, etc.) | 22 |
| *Four were above standard for enquiry. | |
Dental Treatment.
A number of nursing and expectant mothers and young children were treated
at the Council's Dental Clinic held at 10, John Street. The number of new
patients during the year was 64, viz., 35 women and 29 children; the number of
attendances 393 (women 314, children 79).