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
Bromley 1947
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bromley]
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35
received in respect of midwives intending to practice in an
independent capacity.
The number of confinements attended by midwives during the year was 1,585, an increase of 103 on the figure for 1946.
| Domiciliary | Institutional | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| As midwives (without medical assistance) | 230 | 974 | 1204 |
| As maternity nurses (with a doctor) | 53 | 328 | 381 |
| 283 | 1302 | 1585 |
Medical aid in an emergency was sought by midwives on
698 occasions, of which 52 were in respect of domiciliary confinements
and 646 institutional. The occasions in which medical
aid was sought in the institutional cases included those for the
repair of episiotomy and lacerated perineum.
The details of cases in which medical assistance was requested in respect of the domiciliary confinements are as
follows:—
| Mother | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ruptured perineum | 15 | |
| Delayed labour | 8 | |
| Haemorrhage | 1 | |
| Retained placenta | 3 | |
| Tear of old perineal scar | 1 | |
| Puerperal Pyrexia | 1 | |
| Other causes | 7 | |
| — | 36 | |
| Baby. | ||
| Spina bifida | 2 | |
| Cyanosis | 2 | |
| Prematurity | 2 | |
| Discharging Eyes | 2 | |
| Shock | 1 | |
| Severe Vomiting | 1 | |
| Other causes | 6 | |
| — | 16 | |
| 52 | ||
MUNICIPAL MIDWIFERY SERVICE.
All domiciliary midwifery practice within the Borough is
tarried out by the Corporation's municipal midwives. There
are no known midwives in independent practice.
Despite the general shortage of midwives, it was possible to
Maintain the number of municipal midwives at six for the