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 1936
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Croydon]
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144
The Committee also assist necessitous patients in the payment
of the midwife's fee. 35 applications were made for assistance by
midwives on behalf of the patients, and a total sum of £67 8s. was
allowed.
Midwives are also compensated if they lose a case through
admission to a hospital or maternity home on the advice of a doctor.
The sum of £119 1s. was paid out during the year.
| Cases attended by midwives alone | 1,886 | i.e., 54% of total births |
| Cases attended by midwives when a doctor was also engaged | 528 | |
| Cases attended by midwives when a doctor was also summoned | 495 | |
| Total | 2,909 |
The Rules of the Central Midwives Board lay down that the
Local Supervising Authority must be informed, within 36 hours,
by a midwife if she has summoned medical help during pregnancy,
in a confinement or within ten days afterwards. The following
table gives details of the reasons for sending for medical aid.
For Complications during Pregnancy:
| Albuminuria | 24 | Other | 4 |
| Abortion | 7 | 35 | |
| For Complications during Labour: | |||
| Breech | 14 | Foot | 1 |
| Face | 2 | Occipito-Posterior | 2 |
| Extended Breech | 12 | Prolapsed Cord | 2 |
| Transverse | 2 | Caesarean Section | 4 |
| Head | 2 | Undiagnosed | 14 |
| Hand | 1 | 56 | |
| 5 | 5 | ||
| Uterine Inertia | 6 | Prolonged | 33 |
| Delayed | 27 | 66 | |
| Ante- Partum | 21 | Post-Partum | |
| 33 | |||
| Adherent Placenta | 5 | Illness of Mother | 28 |
| Retained Placenta | 3 | Twins | 1 |
| Torn Perineum | 132 | Eclampsia | 169 |