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
Ealing 1935
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ealing]
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16
Stillbirths.—The number of still-births assigned to the
Borough was 74, which gives a rate of 38 per thousand of all births,
the rate being the same as in the previous year.
Maternal Mortality.—In recent years the figures of maternal
mortality for the Borough have been consistently at a satisfactory
level compared with the rest of the country and it is therefore
disconcerting to find that the maternal mortality rate for 1935
of 5.55 per thousand births is the highest rate for the Borough
since 1911, the year for which complete figures became available.
The following table shows the maternal death-rates for Ealing and
for England and Wales, in recent years :—
Maternal Mortality per Thousand Births.
| Period | Ealing | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| 1911—1915 | 3.03 | 4.03 |
| 1916—1920 | 2.70 | 4.12 |
| 1921—1925 | 4.01 | 3.90 |
| 1926—1930 | 3.31 | 4.27 |
| 1931 | 3.85 | 3.95 |
| 1932 | 3.89 | 4.06 |
| 1933 | 2.91 | 4.23 |
| 1934 | 4.32 | 4.41 |
| 1935 | 5.55 | 3.93 |
All the eleven deaths, five of which were due to puerperal
sepsis, were investigated with the help of the medical attendant
concerned and the facts elicited should prove of value in directing
attention to certain steps that might be taken both medically
and administratively in an attempt to avoid some of these lamentable
results of parturition.
There is a hopeful prospect that the high maternal death-rate
for 1935 will be succeeded by a low one for 1936 for during the
five months just expired of the current year there has been only
one maternal death.