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
Southall 1962
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southall]
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of the total number of births; it seems as if a great increase in ante-natal care is urgently
necessary to try to eliminate the possible known factors which reduce a mother's ability to
carry her infant to term—exhaustion, mental shock and stress, insufficient or unsuitable
nourishment, venereal disease, constant drug-taking. Can there be a link between this
problem and the increasing inability of mothers to feed their infants naturally? There
is need for research here. Comparable figures for the past six years are:—
| Year | Born at Home | Born in Hospital | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Births | Died within one month | Stillbirths | Births | Died within one month | Stillbirths | |
| 1957 | 8 | 2 | _ | 40 | 7 | 6 |
| 1958 | 8 | — | — | 49 | 8 | 3 |
| 1959 | 7 | — | — | 48 | 6 | 3 |
| 1960 | 15 | — | 1 | 45 | 7 | 7 |
| 1961 | 12 | 1 | — | 63 | 17 | 16 |
| 1962 | 6 | — | _ | 83 | 8 | 10 |
Maternal Morbidity
One case of puerperal pyrexia was notified direct to the Department during 1962;
in addition 45 cases were notified to other authorities. All of these occurred in Hillingdon
Hospital.
The classification of puerperal pyrexia is "any febrile condition occurring in a woman
in whom a temperature of 100.4° Fahrenheit (38° Centigrade) or more has occurred within
fourteen days after childbirth or miscarriage."
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