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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
Islington 1934
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington]
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9 [1934
REPORT ON MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE WORK.
Municipal Health Visitors.
OPHTHALMIA NEONATORUM AND OPHTHALMIA.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum is an inflammatory disease with purulent discharge
occurring in the eyes of infants within three weeks of birth.
60 cases of Ophthalmia Neonatorum were notified, compared with 87 cases
last year.
131 cases of Ophthalmia were reported by the London County Council and
Health Visitors as against 126 cases during the previous year.
10 out of the 60 cases of Ophthalmia Neonatorum were attended at birth by
midwives.
The cases occurred in the sub.registration districts as follows:—
| Tufnell. | Upper Holloway. | Tollington. | Lower Holloway. | Highbury. | Barnsbury. | South East. | The Borough | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum. | 10 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 7 | 11 | 17 | 60 |
| Ophthalmia. Cases reported by L.C.C. | 7 | 6 | 6 | 13 | 8 | 33 | 47 | 120 |
| Cases reported by Health Visitors | 1 | — | — | — | - | 4 | 6 | 11 |
Of the 60 cases investigated, both of the infants' eyes were affected in 45
instances, whilst in 5 the right eye was involved, and in 10 the left.
Treatment.—17 of the 60 Ophthalmia Neonatorum cases were admitted to
St. Margaret's Hospital, 26 being treated at other Hospitals.
17 cases were treated at home by private Doctors.
26 cases of inflammatory disease of infants' eyes were nursed by the North
London Nursing Association for the Council at a cost of £34 17s. 0d. In 1933
23 cases were nursed at the cost of £20 18s. 0d.
Results.—Of the 60 Ophthalmia Neonatorum cases, vision was unimpaired in all cases.
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum Cases. | Vision unimpaired. | Vision impaired. | Total Blindness. | Deaths. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notified, | Treated. | |||||
| At home. | In hospital. | |||||
| 60 | 17 | 43 | 60 | Nil | Nil | Nil |
MATERNAL DEATHS.
The number of women dying, pregnancy being a factor, during the year 1934
was 20. Of these 20, 12 have been classified by the Registrar-General as "puerperal
causes." This would give a "Registrar-General" Maternal Mortality of
2.5 per 1,000 registered (live and "Still") births. Of these twelve deaths, the
Registrar-General has 3 classified as " sepsis."