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
City of London 1908
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
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94
INDUSTRIAL EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN.
The Corporation, at the request of the Home Secretary, have undertaken to
make an investigation into the industrial employment of women as far as it
relates to the mothers of children born in the City, with a view of ascertaining
whether there is sufficient justification for enforcing further restriction with
regard to the employment of women in factories or workshops both before and
after childbirth.
The enquiry will extend over two years, and the results of the first year's
investigation are now given.
The proportion of women in industrial employment in the City during
pregnancy is comparatively small, as many of them being wives of caretakers,
are simply engaged in ordinary domestic duties, although in some cases where
it is a part of their work to clean offices and many stairs, the work may be
described as laborious.
Further, there are many Jewish mothers residing in the City amongst
whom it is unusual, after marriage, to do other than home work.
The following summary relates to 122 children born during the year 1908who had completed six months' existence during that year.
| PARENTAGE. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| British Fathers | 76 | or | 62.3 per cent. |
| Jewish „ | 34 | ,, | 27.9 „ |
| Italian „ | 1 | ,, | .8 „ |
| German „ | 1 | ,, | .8 „ |
| Not known | 10 | ,, | 8.2 „ |
| 122 | 100.0 | ||
| EMPLOYMENT OF MOTHER. | |||
| Factory employment during pregnancy 7 or 5.7 per cent. | |||
| „ ,, after birth of child 1 „ .8 „ | |||
| NATURE OF WORK. | |||
| Heavy during pregnancy | 12 | or | 9.8 per cent. |
| „ after birth of child | 6 | ,, | 4.9 „ |
| Light during pregnancy | 109 | ,, | 89.3 ,, |
| „ after birth of child | 105 | ,, | 86.3 ,, |
| Not known during pregnancy | 5 | 4.1 „ | |
| „ „ after birth of child | 11 | ,, | 9,0 „ |