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35
In the case of 41 of above-mentioned 191 institutional confinements
admission to hospitals or maternity homes had been arranged
through the Ante-natal Clinic.
During the last three months of the year, following the outbreak
of war, a small number of expectant mothers were evacuated in
accordance with Government's Evacuation Scheme from that part of
the Borough to which the Evacuation Scheme applies.
Puerperal Pyrexia and Puerperal Fever.
Three cases were notified as puerperal pyrexia during the year.
In two of these cases the confinement occurred in a London
maternity hospital and the patients remained in that hospital for
treatment of the condition causing the pyrexia, this being due to
mastitis in one instance and to slight sepsis in the other. In the
third case the confinement occurred in a Nursing Home in the
Borough and the patient was transferred to a London maternity
hospital for treatment. All three patients recovered.
A resident of this Borough whose confinement occurred in a
Public Assistance Institution in an adjacent Borough developed
puerperal fever which was duly notified in that area, and the patient
was removed to a London maternity hospital for treatment. The
disease proved fatal, and the death was assigned to the Barnes
Borough as an inward transfer death; this death was the first
death from child-birth assignable to the Borough since 1934.
Investigations into cases of puerperal pyrexia are routinely made
by the Medical Officer of Health and by the Health Visitors. The
Surrey County Council being the Local Supervising Authority
under the Midwives Act particulars of the notification in each case
notified as puerperal pyrexia are communicated by me forthwith to
the County Medical Officer.
The same preventive and remedial measures detailed in previous
Reports have been continued during the year.
The three cases of puerperal pyrexia which were notified in
the Borough correspond to an incidence rate of 7.4 per 1,000 total
births compared with a rate of 14.3 for England and Wales.