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
Croydon 1931
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Croydon]
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branch of maternal care. Besides the matron and nursing staff, an
honorary lady medical officer attends the Home when necessary.
The following figures give the main details regarding the work carried out in 1931, and I am indebted to Dr. Sutherland, the Hon. Medical Officer of the Home, for them:—
| Number of beds for patients | 18 | |
| Number of cases admitted | 27 | |
| Total number of cases | 32 | |
| Average duration of stay | 6 months | |
| No. of cases delivered by (a) Midwives | 21 | |
| (b) Doctors | 1 | |
| No. of cases in which medical assistance was sought by a midwife | 14 | |
| No. of cases notified as (a) Puerperal Fever, (b) Puerperal Pyrexia | 1 | |
| No. of infants not entirely breast fed while in the institution | 7 | |
| No. of cases notified as Ophthalmia Neonatorum | Nil | |
| No. of maternal deaths | Nil | |
| No. of foetal deaths (a) Stillborn | Nil | |
| 1 | ||
As is seen the duration of stay much exceeds that in ordinary
maternity homes. The girls are kept, with their babies, until
suitable situations can be secured for them, and when necessary
foster-mothers are found for the babies. Whilst the girls are in
the Home they are employed in domestic work. Some of them
go out to daily work, but reside in the Home.
Still Births.
During 1931, 121 still births were registered in respect of
Croydon, but of these 11 were outward transfers to other districts.
There were 10 inward transfers, giving a total of 120 for the area.
Of these 70 were male babies and 50 female; 5 male and 3 female
were illegitimate. The proportion of still births to living children
was as 1 to 28.3. The still birth rate was 3.5 of the registered live
births. The rate in 1930 was 3.0%.
The still birth rate, on the same basis as for Infant Mortality was 34.9 per 1,000 births.
STILL BIRTHS, 1931.
| Notified by Midwives | 17 |
| „ Doctors, etc. | 20 |
| ,, Institutions | 58* |
| Attended by Midwives alone | 16 |
| ,, Doctors alone | 23 |
| ,, Midwives and Doctors | 21 |
| ,, Institutions | 27 |
| Occurred at 9 months | 55 |
| „ 8 months | 12 |
| ,, 7 months | 23 |
| *Including registered Maternity Homes. |