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22
Forty-one per cent, of births in Bromley in 193
were attended by midwives practising in their professional
capacity.
Attendance at Birth.
During 1931 a special point was made into the
enquiry of attendance at birth in those cases which are
visited by the health visitors. As 74 per cent, of al
births occurring in Bromley are visited by the healtl
visitors the results of the enquiry are based on 486 births
Cases were divided into primipara and multipara, ant
the facts obtained were elicited from the mother ant
were confirmed in most cases through the midwives
records.
Attendance.
Primipara
Of the 486 cases investigated 212 were primipara.
70 per cent, were attended by doctor and midwife.
24 ,, ,, ,, ,, midwife alone.
6 ,, .. ,, ,, doctor and handywoman
Multipara.
35 per cent, were attended by doctor and midwife.
57 ,, ,, ,, ,, midwife alone.
8 ,, ,, ,, .. doctor and handy woman
Environmental.
50 per cent, of primipara and 24 per cent, of multipara
were born in hospitals or maternity homes.
17 babies were born in one-room families, 11
these being the first baby in the family.
214 babies were born at the Maternity Hospital,
51 of these being extra district families.
35 Bromley babies were born at the Farnborough
Institution.
These statistics bring out several facts of interest,
but as they apply to a small number of births their
value is limited. However, Bromley being a residential
area, similar figures would probably apply to areas ot
the same residential character.