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
Walthamstow 1953
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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84
VIRUS INFECTIONS DURING PREGNANCY
Ministry of Health Enquiry
This enquiry extended to all the Ante-Natal Clinics including
those at Thorpe Coombe Maternity Hospital. The purpose of the
enquiry is to collect information as to a possible relationiship between
virus diseases (especially German measles) during pregnancy
and congenital defects in the child.
CONFINEMENTS
The following table shows the location of confinements during 1953:—
| Thorpe Coombe Maternity Hospital | 1,133 |
| Other Hospitals and Maternity Homes | 393 |
| Total in Hospital, etc. | 1,526 |
| At Home | 412 |
| Total Confinements | 1,938 |
A total of 10 Walthamstow patients were unable to book
accommodation at Thorpe Coombe. If they were unable to make
their own alternative arrangements, bookings at other Maternity
Hospitals were made for them through Thorpe Coombe.
The grounds for admission to Thorpe Coombe were: -
(1) First Confinements.
(2) Medical and Obstetrical.
(3) Unsuitable home/social conditions.
VITAL STATISTICS
Walthamstow England & Wales
Live birth-rate per 1,000 population 12.2 15.5
Stillbirth rate per 1,000 population 0.32 0.35
Infant mortality rate per 1,000 live-
births 28.2 26.8
Extracts from vital statistics are given more fully in Section
"A" of this Report.
NOTIFICATION OF BIRTHS
1,966 births (385 of which belonged to other areas)
were notified during the year under the Public Health Act, 1936.
Notifications were received as follows: Doctors, 307; midwives,
1,637; others, 22.