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
Carshalton 1939
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Carshalton]
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The birth rate fell to 13.2 from 14.7 and is the lowest on record.
Illegitimate live births included in the total numbered 13, 8 male and
5 female. There were 20 still births, none of which was illegitimate.
Ward Birth Rates.
Classification by wards is made from local records. Information available from notifications received under the Public Health Act, supplemented by the returns of the local Registrar, shows that 807 births (787 live, 20 still) took place during the year to residents of the various wards as follows:—
| Ward. | Live Births. | Rate per 1,000 population. | Still Births. | Still birth rate per 1,000 total births. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Helier North | 130 | 14.8 | 8 | 58.0 |
| St. Helier South | 86 | 12.1 | — | — |
| St. Helier West | 100 | 12.8 | 3 | 26.8 |
| North-East | 145 | 16.0 | 6 | 39.7 |
| North-West | 85 | 11.7 | 2 | 23.0 |
| Central | 77 | 12.9 | — | — |
| South-East (excluding Queen Mary's Hosp.) | 95 | 13.1 | — | — |
| South-West | 60 | 9.1 | 1 | 16.4 |
Domiciliary and Institutional Births.
The proportion of births which took place in Hospitals and Nursing
Homes was approximately the same as in the year before. These
numbered 313 out of a total of 807, compared with 315 in 1938. They
represent 38 per cent. of the whole. The respective percentages for
the individual wards being:—
St. Helier North 24.6
St. Helier South 37.1
St. Helier West 24.1
North-East 45.0
North-West 35.6
Central 44.1
South-East 34.7
South-West 37.3
The births which occurred in premises other than domestic dwellings took place in the following institutions:—
| Live. | Still. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carshalton, Beddington and Wallington District (War Memorial) Hospital. | 47 | 6 | 53 |
| Surrey County Hospitals | 120 | 1 | 121 |
| Other Hospitals | 48 | 3 | 51 |
| Private Nursing Homes | 88 | — | 88 |
| 303 | 10 | 313 |