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In accordance with the requirements of the Ministry of Health,
the circumstances associated with any maternal death are ascertained
and a confidential Report forwarded to the Ministry.
It is understood that the object of these Reports is to obtain amass
of information, hitherto not available, upon which the Maternal Mortality
Committee, set up by the Ministry, may issue a Report upon any
facts or conclusions derived from their study.
Puerperal Pyrexia.
Since 1st October, 1926, notification is compulsory in the case of
any woman who, within 21 days subsequent to confinement, develops
a temperature of 100-4° F. where such temperature continues for, or
recurs within, a period of 24 hours. The notifications received have
been as follows:—
1926 (part) 1927 1928 1929
Cases 5 16 12 6
Obviously, from the definition, such cases are frequently not due to any
complication associated with confinement. All cases are enquired into
and, where nursing assistance is required, such is made available.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
As from the 1st October, 1926, notification to the Medical Officer of
Health of such cases became wholly the responsibility of the doctor in
attendance, the midwife being required to call in medical assistance
and to take such action as is laid down by the Central Midwives Board.
The following is a statement of notifications rec eived:—
Year 1926 (part) 1927 1928 1929
Cases 14 9 18 14
1 he following is a statement of the results of treatment in respect
of the cases notified in 1929:-
Vision Vision Since died
Notified Treated unira- im- Total from
At home In hospital paired paired blindness Causes
14 13 1 11 l _ 2
Operation pending.
Apart from true cases of Ophthalmia, midwives have to report cases
of inflammation of the eye, and these, together with cases of Ophthalmia,
are kept under observation by the Health Visitors. The Borough