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

West Ham 1928

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for West Ham]

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Antenatal CareHistory of CaseCertified Cause of Death
Case No. 6. Treated by private doctor, no examination. Visited at home by midwife. Age 31.Delivered by Midwife. 5 para : previous pregnancies and confinements normal : present pregnancy, sickness during 7th month. Labour normal. Temperature rose 4th day : transferred to hospital. Died 25th day.Puerperal Para metritis.
History of Cases (2) case No. 7. No Antenatal care. Age 40.attributed to causes other than Hospital: Emergency Case. 11 para : previous pregnancies and labours normal; history of secondary P.P.H. in all cases. Present pregnancy, normal (apparently) till profuse A.P.H.; transferred to hospital, labour induced 7½ months. Died following day.Puerperal Fever. Ante-partum Haemorrhage.
Case No. 8.Examined by private doctor.Age 24.Delivered by Doctor.1 para : pregnancy normal till 8½ months, when gastric symptoms developed. Labour, normal delivery, profuse post par-tum haemorrhage resulting in death on same day.Childbirth (P.P.H.), Shock and Cardiac Failure.
Case No. 9. Private doctor, only after onset of haemorrhage. Age 36 years.Attended by Doctor; later sent in as Emergency Case to Hospital. 2 para : 1st difficult labour. Present pregnancy, A.P.H. at 8J months, treated at home with improvement; for 1 week severe haemorrhage then, transferred to hospital, where Caesarian Section was performed at once. Died following day.Shock, Haemorrhage from Central Placenta Praevia, Caesarian Section.
Case No. 10. Treated bv private doctor after onset of haemorrhage.Attended by Doctor; later transferred to hospital.1 para : pregnancy apparently normal till 6½ months, when first haemorrhage occurred. Thereafter at intervals there was slight haemorrhage till 8½ months, when she was transferred to hospital owing to very-severe loss of blood, treated for shock, Caesarian Section performed; child stillborn. Died few hours later.Placenta Praevia, Caesarian Section, Postoperative Shock.