[Report 1950] / Medical Officer of Health, Newport (Gwent) County Borough.
- Newport (Wales). County Council.
- Date:
- 1950
Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: [Report 1950] / Medical Officer of Health, Newport (Gwent) County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![Enquiries were marie in reference to 61 deaths under six months of age. In 40, or 65.6 per cent., of these deaths the infants were too feeble to take proper nourishment; in 3 of the deaths the mode of feeding could not be ascertained. 7 of the 61 infants were stated to have heeii wholly breast-fed, and 7 wholly fed on foods other than mother’s milk. The analysis of enquiries at the end of six months in reference to 1,640 infants showed that 3.5 per cent, of them were still entirely breast- fed, compared with 9.3 last year. Tlie proportion of children who are breast-fed at six months of age is much lower than it used to be. In 1914 it was 73.7 per cent.; in 1924, 61.4 per cent.; in 1934, 54.4 per cent., and during the five years 1945-49 the annual average was 16.9 per cent. Inflamed Eyes of New-born No (;ases of Ophthalmia Neonatorum were notified, during the year, compared with an annual average of 1.26 per 1,000 births during the previous five years. 36 other cases of inflamed eyes, all of which were of a mild form, were discovered or reported and enquired into. All the cases were followed up until the termination of the condition. 26 of these suspicious cases were treated by their own doctors; the 10 very slight cases got well without medical treatment. MID WIVES EEPOET. At the beginning of the year there were 41 Midwives on tlie Eegister. During the year 13 new names were added to the Eegister, 13 Midwives left the town and 2 Midwives were re-registered, so that at the end of the year there were 43 Midwives on the Eegister. 4 Maternity Nurses were registered diiring the year. The number of births, including abortions, attended by the Domiciliary Midwives was 751. In 250 of these cases medical practitioners had been engaged prior to the confinement, while for 119 other mothers medical aid was called in. (These figures do not imdude the births which took place at St. Woolos Hospital and the Eoya] Gwent Hospital). The Grange Maternity Home was responsible for 323 cases, and the Elizabeth Eutter Maternity Home (which was (dosed on 2nd September) for 112 cases.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28866915_0019.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
