View report page

64
A still birth occurred at or about term in four instances in
which apparently the fcetus was not alive at the time of the confinement,
the alleged cause of death being shock or a fall.
In 25 instances the still birth occurred well before term.
Toxaemia or albuminuria appeared to be the cause in ten instances,
in two of which induction was effected in the interests of the mother's
health. Ante-partum haemorrhage was the next, almost as common,
cause being responsible for the death of eight. Sufficiency of antenatal
beds is an urgent requirement for the admission of women
suffering from even slight degrees of ante-partum haemorrhage or
toxaemia or albuminuria. It is difficult to get a woman with many
household responsibilities to carry out the advice to lie up at home
for what to her is apparently a trivial condition. In any event,
the more severe cases of albuminuria need rigid dieting which can
only be undertaken in hospital with the restriction of a calorie intake
which can be enforced only in a patient confined to bed. ft is
understood that in the arrangements of the County Council antenatal
patients requiring institutional treatment will be admitted to
the beds in the general medical wards of the Council's hospitals.
Apart from this being just about as unsuitable an atmosphere as
can be conceived for the expectant mother, it is understandable
that, in view of the present demands on the limited accommodation,
few patients suffering from these ante-natal conditions
can be accepted.
INFANT MORTALITY.
110 (66 male and 44 female) infants died under one year of age.
The infant mortality rate, by which is expressed the number of
deaths among infants under one year of age per 1,000 born was
therefore 35.5, compared with the figure of 58 for the country as a
whole, 62 for the Great Towns, 60 for London, and local rates of
42.1 and 44.9 for the years 1935 and 1936.