London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Wandsworth 1928

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth, Metropolitan Borough]

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66 Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
Infant Visiting.
There were 4,616 births during the year and 3,928 of these,
or 85.0 per cent., were visited, compared with 82.7 in 1927,
81.7 in 1926, 81.1 in 1925, 79.9 in 1924 and 77.1 in 1923.
Table XXXII. gives the particulars of the method of
feeding of infants on the occasion of the initial visit and when
revisited. Of 3,928 infants visited for the first time, 3,390
were entirely breast-fed, while 538 were otherwise fed.
On revisiting, 2,653 infants were found to be fed entirely
on the breast, and 1,692 were fed by other methods.

TABLE XXXII.

Method of Feeding.Age of infant on first visit.
Under 1 month.1—3 months.3—6 months.6—12 months.Total.
Breast-fed18421247212893390
Otherwise fed11222310994538
Method of Feeding.Age of infant on subsequent visit.
Under 1 month.1—3 months.3—6 months.6—12 months.Total.
Breast-fed14462783810442653
Otherwise fed2929355110491922

It was found that in 1,144 of the births, doctors had been
in attendance, while in 1,692 the services of midwives had
been utilised. 1,092 infants were born in hospitals and other
institutions.