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

Stoke Newington 1925

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Stoke Newington]

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Table: The following tabular statement upon the maternity and child welfare work in the Borough during 1921-25 will serve to show the continued success of the work, when allowance is made for the diminishing number of children born.

The following tabular statement upon the maternity and child welfare work in the Borough during 1921-25 will serve to show the continued success of the work, when allowance is made for the diminishing number of children born.

19211922192319241925
Infants born1,073937960876842
Home Visits, Primary1,1731,0731,0881,1261,139
,, ,, Secondary2,4243,0423,5584,0064,023
Number of Children on Registers at Welfare Centres1,0591,032990955970
Attendances of Children for Weighing- and Consultation9,1987,6408,8338,9119,163
Attendances of Mothers for Advice, etc.6,3446,4297,0086,3385,462
Attendances of Mothers at AnteNatal Consultations177176178242256
Attendances of Mothers at Needlework Class580382347418423

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The causes contributing to a high rate of infant mortality
have been discussed in certain of my Annual Reports.
The fact that there is no decrease in the deaths resulting from
Premature Birth is the one discouraging circumstance which emerges
from the study of the particulars of our infant mortality in Stoke
Newington. It is not easy to account for this. Such deaths should,
having regard to all that has been done in recent years, be on the
decrease.
The developed ante-natal work that can reduce the number of
deaths in the first month of life should bring about a reduction in
the considerable number of premature and still-births, 50 per cent.
of which are believed to be preventable. Under the Notification
of Births Act, 1907, all births, even those of dead infants, which
occur after 28 weeks of gestation must be notified to the Medical
Officer of Health. It is realised that there are reasons for hesitating
to demand notification of much earlier deaths, but it would be of
material assistance to the maternity and child welfare work if the
period of 28 weeks could be reduced to 20 or to even 24.