London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Sutton 1966
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Sutton]
This page requires JavaScript
This table emphasises the serious loss of infant lives associated with prematurity and during the first month of life. The size of the problem can most simply be shown as follows:-
| Total | Non Premature | Premature * | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live births | 2450 | 2302 | 148 |
| (1883) | (1780) | (103) | |
| Deaths among live births in the first month of life | 28 | 11 | 17 |
| (42) | (29) | (13) | |
| Still births | 32 | 16 | 16 |
| (20) | (8) | (12) |
* The Ministry of Health's definition of a premature birth is one when
the infant at birth weighs 5½ lbs or less.
It will be seen that the 2302 (1780) non-premature live births
produced 11 (29) neo-natal deaths and the 148 (103) premature live births
produced 17 (13) neo-natal deaths. In addition 50% (60%) of still
births are associated with prematurity.
CONGENITAL ABNORMALITIES
It is a responsibility of the Medical Officer of Health to
submit a confidential report in standard form to the Registrar General
on congenital abnormalities detected at or shortly after birth.
A standard form of birth notification is used in the area which
provides for the notification of congenital abnormalities and factors
calculated to put the infant 'at risk' when these are detected at birth.
Similarly, reports submitted by hospital maternity units and domiciliary
midwives on patients discharged from their care after confinement are
in standard form providing for the easy recording of congenital
abnormalities and 'at risk' factors.
Between 1st January and 31st December 1966, 75 congenital
abnormalities were reported as compared with 35 between 1st April 1965
and 31st December 1965. Of the 75 congenital abnormalities reported
during the calendar year, 41 (11) were of a comparatively minor nature
and 24 (24) were more serious defects, 5 (1) of the 75 infants concerned
were still-born and of the 70 infants born alive 8 (5) died within ten
days of birth. During 1966 births at which congenital abnormalities
were detected represented 3.1% (1.3%) of the total live and still births.
35