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 1948
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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London:
| Year | Live and still births | Deaths | Notifications | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puerperal sepsis | Other childbirth | Puerperal pyrexia | |||||
| No. | Rate | No. | Rate | No. | Rate | ||
| 1947 | 72,877 | 23 | 0.32 | 47 | 0.64 | 441 | 6.05 |
| 1948 | 62,125 | 22 | 0.35 | 26 | 0.42 | 460 | 7.40 |
Rates per 1,000 total births.
The maternal mortality rate (0.77) in 1948 was much lower than in 1947 (0.96)
and constitutes a new low record.
Neither the increase of 0.03 in the sepsis mortality nor the decrease of 0.22 in
that from other childbirth since 1947 is statistically significant. In this connection
it should be noted that owing to the small number of deaths compared with confinements
the laws of chance applicable to small numbers operate.
The analysis of maternal deaths for the two years into (i) post-abortion (ii) other, is as follows:—
| Cause of Death | 1948 | 1947 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Postabortion | Other | Total | Postabortion | Other | Total | |||||||
| No. | Rate | No. | Rate | No. | Rale | No. | Rate | No. | Rate | No. | Rate | |
| Puerperal sepsis | 14 | 0.22 | 8 | 0.13 | 22 | 0.35 | 14 | 0.20 | 9 | 0.12 | 23 | 0.32 |
| " Other childbirth " | 4 | 0.06 | 22 | 0.36 | 26 | 0.42 | 9 | 0.12 | 38 | 0.52 | 47 | 0.64 |
| Total maternal deaths | 18 | 0.28 | 30 | 0.49 | 48 | 0.77 | 23 | 0.32 | 47 | 0.64 | 70 | 0.96 |
It will be observed that while the mortality from septic abortion and other sepsis
has slightly risen since the previous year that from other causes following abortion
and childbirth has fallen by 50 per cent. and 30 per cent. respectively. This improvement
in the non-sepsis rates can be ascribed to better midwifery and better
co-operation from the patient.
Puerperal fever is now no longer notifiable as such in the county of London as
the term is covered by Puerperal pyrexia, thus bringing the county into line with the
rest of the country.
The trend of maternal death-rate in the administrative county of London
from 1891 is shown by the figures in Table 3. It will be observed from the table that
maternal mortality fell very slowly until the introduction of the sulphonamides, in