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 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Croydon]
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136
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.
Notifications were received from—
| Live Births. | Still Births. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midwives | 2,856 | 82 | 2,938 |
| Doctors, Parents and others | 688 | 23 | 711 |
| Total | 3,544 | 105 | 3,649 |
As the total number of births and still births registered
during 1937 was 3,682 (Live 3,574, Still 108), 30 births and 3 still
births were not notified in accordance with the provisions of the
Act.
Maternal Mortality.
There were 13 deaths directly due to pregnancy, as in 1936.
The maternal mortality rate was consequently 3.9 per 1,000 births,
the same as 1936. In other words one mother died for every
258 babies born.
The deaths directly due to pregnancy were caused by Puerperal
Sepsis, 2 cases; Pulmonary Embolism, 4 cases; Obstetric
Shock, 2 cases; Renal trouble, 4 cases; Other Causes, 1 case.
The Registrar-General's figures for deaths directly due to
pregnancy were as follows : —
Total deaths allocated to Borough of Croydon, 12; maternal
mortality, 3.56 per 1,000 births.