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
London County Council 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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19
The figures in the following table are based upon statements obtained from women
confined in the Council's hospitals during 1936:–
Table 23–Stated history of miscarriages per cent, of stated previous pregnancies among 17,931 women (married and unmarried) confined in the general hospitals of the London County
| Number of previous pregnancies | Ages of women at confinement | All ages | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15– | 20– | 25– | 30– | 35– | 40– | 45+ | ||
| 1 | 7.2 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 3.6 | 4.5 | – | 4.9 | |
| 2 | 9.5 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 6.4 | 4.4 | – | 7.6 | |
| 3 | – | 9.5 | 8.7 | 7.2 | 6.0 | 5.8 | – | 7.5 |
| 4 | – | 8.9 | 6.7 | 5.9 | 4.0 | 7.0 | ||
| 5 | – | – | 10.4 | 7.5 | 6.6 | 6.1 | – | 7.3 |
| 6 | – | – | 8.3 | 8.5 | 4.8 | 6.5 | 6.5 | |
| 7 | – | – | 19.6 | 10.0 | 6.6 | 3.0 | 6.7 | |
| 8 | – | – | 17.1 | 5.6 | 2.4 | 6.7 | ||
| 9 | – | – | – | 8.6 | 5.8 | 3.7 | 5.2 | |
| 10 and over | – | – | – | 7.5 | 12.4 | 7.5 | 9.6 | |
| Total | 7.2 | 7.5 | 7.2 | 6.3 | 5.0 | 6.8 | ||
In both this and the following table the percentages are printed in italics where
the figures upon which they are worked are too small to give stable rates.
In 1937 there were discharged from the Council's general hospitals 3,870 women
who had been under treatment for or in respect of miscarriage or abortion, and in
addition 476 women were discharged pregnant after treatment for threatened
abortion.
The following figures give a sample tabulation of the previous miscarriages
among women treated for miscarriage :–
Table 24–County of London–Stated history of miscarriages per cent, of stated previous pregnancies among 635 women under treatment in the general hospitals of the London County Council for the
| r of previous pregnancies | Ages of women on admission to hospital | All ages | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15– | 20– | 25– | 30– | 35– | 40– | 45 + | ||
| 1–3 | – | 20.8 | 17.8 | 19.1 | 20.9 | 19.5 | ||
| 4–6 | – | 23.4 | 23.4 | 18.5 | 10.6 | – | 20.2 | |
| 7 and over | – | – | 29.8 | 23.9 | 15.7 | – | 23.7 | |
| Total | – | 23.2 | 21.0 | 22.8 | 21.0 | 15.5 | 20.8 | |
These figures are cumulative, e.g., the histories of women aged 30-35 rela.e to
all their pregnancies up to that age. There is a tendency for the percentages to decrease
with advancing age. This may be due to abortions at higher ages not being
followed by a pregnancy which proceeds to term, or to a miscarriage which necessitates
admission to hospital. Or, again, it may be that the incidence of abortion is smaller
at advanced ages. Clinical experience does not, however, support the latter view.
Enteric
fevers
There were 216 notifications of fevers of the enteric group in London in 1937
(52 weeks) compared with 255 in 1936 (53 weeks). The deaths in the calendar year
numbered 17 as against 31 in 1936. The remarkable decrease in the mortality from
enteric fever during the present century will be seen from the figures in table 36.
The seasonal incidence, as shown by the notifications (uncorrected for errors of diagnosis) received in successive four-weekly periods during the year was as follows:– Table 25
| 5- | 9- | 13- | 17- | 21- | 25- | 29- | 33- | 37- | 41- | 45- | 49-52 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 21 | 27 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 13 | 8 | 31 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 15 |