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
Holborn 1932
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Holborn Borough]
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73
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
Notification of Births.
During the year 186 births were registered as occurring in the Borough.
During the same period 164 notifications of births occurring in the Borough were
received. Of these, 156 were from doctors and midwives, 8 from parents.
The mothers were attended at their confinement by: —
Private Doctors 34
Private Midwives 25
Out-patient Midwifery Departments of General Hospitals and
Institutions: —
Externs and others 38
Midwives.—University College Hospital 6
Charing Cross Hospital 4
Middlesex Hospital 4
St. Bartholomew's Hospital 3
Other Institutions 8
Training Institution for Midwives, Myddelton
Square 34
156
Five of these notifications related to stillbirths.
Number of Births.
The number of births transferred to the Borough from outlying
institutions was 171
The number of births transferred from the Borough to other
districts was 8
The net number of births belonging to the Borough was 349
There are no maternity hospitals or public lying in institutions in the Borough
but maternity cases are admitted to a nursing home in the area.
Births in Crowded Homes. The following table is an indication of the home conditions of 313 mothers in relation to their confinement: —
| Living in:— | Confined at home. | Confined in hospital. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Percentage of Total Births. | No. | Percentage of Total Births. | |
| One roomed homes | 38 | 52 | ||
| Two „ „ | 83 | 59 | ||
| Three „ „ | 36 | 29 | ||
| Four „ „ | 10 | 6 | ||
| Total | 167 | 146 | ||
| These figures show that many of the women are confined under very uncomfortable nnd unfavourable circumstances. | ||||