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 1935
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Croydon]
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126
SECTION VIII.
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
Notification of Births Act, 1915.
This Act requires all births to be notified to the Medical
Officer of Health within 36 hours of their occurrence. The whole
system of health visiting rests on this Act.
| Live Births. | Still Births. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|
As the total number of births and still births registered
during 1935 was 3,693 (Live 3,576, Still 117), 148 births and 11
still births were not notified in accordance with the provisions of
the Act.
Maternal Mortality.
There were 10 deaths directly due to pregnancy, as compared
with 13 in 1934. The maternal mortality rate was consequently
2.9 per 1,000 births compared with 3.9 per 1,000 in 1934. In other
words one mother died for every 339 babies born.
The deaths directly due to pregnancy were caused by puerperal
sepsis 7 cases (3 of which followed abortion), eclampsia 1 case,
broncho-pneumonia following caesarean section 1 case, and postpartum
haemorrhage 1 case. Two of the 10 cases were Croydon
residents delivered and treated outside the borough. There were
also four deaths from heart disease, pulmonary tuberculosis, lobar
pneumonia complicating insanity, and violence, in cases in which
a pregnancy was co-existant.