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
Islington 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington Borough]
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87 [1937
MATERNAL DEATHS.
The number of women dying, pregnancy being a factor, during the year 1937
was 20. Our investigations showed 9 to be classifiable as Puerperal Sepsis and 5
from other puerperal causes. These 14 cases would give a Maternal Mortality Rate
of 3 01 per 1,000 registered ("live" and "still") births. In addition, there were
6 deaths of pregnant women from the following :—2 from Forms of Violence, 1 from
Acute Pneumonic Phthisis, 1 from Lobar Pneumonia, 1 from Non-malignant Tumour
of Uterus, and 1 from Heart Disease. Taking the deaths as 20 would give a rate of
4-3. (See Table p. 89.)
A Table showing such investigations from 1911 is given. For details of the
Maternal Deaths for the year 1937 see p. 88.
The deaths for the preceding year numbered 16, and were equal to the proportion
of 33 per 1,000 registered births.
†GROSS MATERNAL DEATH RATES FOR ISLINGTON.
| Year. | No. of Live Births. | No. of Maternal Deaths | Rate. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1911 | 8,113 | 17 | 2.1 |
| 1912 | 8,211 | 11 | 1.3 |
| 1913 | 8,359 | 26 | 3.1 |
| 1914 | 8,177 | 22 | 2.7 |
| 1915 | 7,537 | 17 | 2.3 |
| 1916 | 7,262 | 21 | 2.9 |
| 1917 | 5,837 | 12 | 2.1 |
| 1918 | 5,197 | 7 | 1.3 |
| 1919 | 6,278 | 23 | 3.7 |
| 1920 | 9,404 | 22 | 2.3 |
| 1921 | 7,886 | 17 | 2.2 |
| 1922 | 7,506 | 20 | 2.7 |
| 1923 | 7,100 | 15 | 2.1 |
| 1924 | 6,799 | 17 | 2.5 |
| 1925 | 6,580 | 18 | 2.7 |
| 1926 | 6,455 | 20 | 3.1 |
| 1927 | 6,108 | 24 | 3.9 |
| 1928 | 5,790 | 25 | 4.3 |
| 1929 | 5,509 | 27 | 4.9 |
| 1930 | 5,685 | 22 | 3.9 |
| 1931 | 5,281 | 28 | 5.3 |
| 1932 | 4,950 | 16 | 3.2 |
| 1933 | 4,581 | 25 | 5.31 |
| 1934 | 4,624 | 20 | 4.2* |
| 1935 | 4,577 | 16 | 3.4* |
| 1936 | 4,724 | 16 | 3.3* |
| 1937 | 4,504 | 20 | 4.3* |
*Rate per 1,000 registered live births and still births.
† It has been our practice for some years back to record all deaths of women
in which, as a result of our investigations, pregnancy was found to be a complication.