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
Mitcham 1932
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Mitcham]
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20
Ante-Natal Clinic.—An ante-natal clinic is held at the Home
every week, and all patients who have booked a bed for their confinement
are expected to attend.
The following table shows the number of births which have occurred in each year since the opening of the Home:—
| No. of Births. | |
|---|---|
| 1924 (August to December) | 42 |
| 1925 | 129 |
| 1926 | 240 |
| 1927 (10 months) | 177 |
| 1928 | 265 |
| 1929 | 298 |
| 1930 | 318 |
| 1931 | 259 |
| 1932 | 239 |
Number of maternity beds in the institution (exclusive of
isolation and labour beds), 15.
Number of maternity cases admitted during the year, 238 (239
births, 1 twin labour).
Average duration of stay, 14 days.
Number of cases delivered by—(a) midwife, 205 ; (6) doctors,
33 (including 12 cases in which patients had booked a doctor).
Number of cases in which medical assistance was sought by a
midwife in emergency, 59 (29 abnormal conditions, 30 perineal
sutures).
Number of cases notified as—(a) puerperal fever, nil.; (b)
puerperal pyrexia, 4.
Number of cases of pemphigus neonatorum, nil.
Number of infants not entirely breast-fed while in the institution,
3.
Number of cases notified as ophthalmia neonatorum, nil.
Number of maternal deaths, nil.
Number of infants deaths—(i) stillborn, 6; (ii.) within 10 days
of birth, 1,