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3
BOROUGH OF RICHMOND (SURREY).
Report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1955.
preface.
Staff.
The vacancy for a district Sanitary Inspector which occurred in
May 1954 was not filled until April 1955 when Mr. N. V. Saunders
was appointed to the staff.
I am pleased to report that since that date there have been no
vacancies or changes in the department.
Population.
The Registrar General's estimate of the population in 1955 was
42,240, which is an increase of 300 in the Census population of 1951
but about 200 less than the estimate for 1954.
Births.
During the year 623 births were recorded (318 males and 305
females). This figure may be compared with 632 in 1954 and 851
in 1947- The number of illegitimate births was 32 compared with
35 in the previous year. This figure seems likely to remain steady
and is much the same as it was before the war.
The proportion of births taking place in dwelling houses has once
more fallen to the low level of 21%. In spite of the provision of
an efficient domiciliary midwifery service there is a slow but sure
tendancy for more and more mothers to be confined in hospital.
This is general throughout the country and there is much to be said
both for and against it. If the trend continues, and particularly if
there is an official encouragement, this might be the beginning of the
end of domiciliary midwifery. In my view this would be a great
pity. Where housing conditions are satisfactory there is much to be
said for home confinement, particularly for subsequent pregnancies
where the first baby has been delivered without any complications.
There were 42 premature live births, of whom 38 survived. Of
the 4 infants who failed to survive 3 weighed less than 3 lbs. 4ozs.
and so would be extremely difficult to rear.