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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182
The cause of the still birth was given as due to prolonged and
difficult labour in 20 cases; Placenta Praevia, 6 cases; Malpresentation,
12 cases; injury to mother, 7 cases; Prolapse of Cord, 5
cases; Eclampsia, 4 cases; various other causes, 3 cases. In 30
cases no cause was assigned and in 2 cases no record was available.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
Fourteen cases were notified during 1931. The fluctuations in
the number of notifications since 1926, the date of the passing of
the Ophthalmia Neonatorum regulations, is remarkable. Under
these regulations notification by midwives ceased. Prior to 1926
the number of notifications remained fairly uniform, and it would
appear as if only the most severe cases are now brought to the
attention of the Authority.
The following table gives the notifications in Croydon during the past ten years.
| 1911 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | 1931 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of cases | 21 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 19 | 14 |
| Rate per 1000 births | 6.0 | 6.8 | 6.1 | 6.5 | 5.8 | 5.7 | 28 | 1.5 | 5 4 | 5.6 |
Results of Treatment.
| Cases treated. | Vision Unimpaired. | Vision Impaired. | Died. | Removed. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notified | At home | In hospital | ||||
| 14 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
Infant Mortality.
The Infantile Mortality rate was 58 per 1,000 births. This is
10 per 1,000 births more than in 1930.
For the past 5 years the numbers of infant deaths have been:—
1927, 178; 1928, 178 ; 1929, 221; 1930, 171; 1931, 196 ; 109 deaths
of infants occurred in institutions, including Registered Nursing
Homes.