[Report 1969] / Medical Officer of Health, Durham County Palatine / County Council.

  • Durham (England : County). Council.
Date:
1969
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1969] / Medical Officer of Health, Durham County Palatine / County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Care of Premature Infants Born at Home. Equipment for the home nursing of premature infants including lined “Sorrento” cots, with mattress, blankets, sheets, hot water bottles, gamgee outfits and “Belcroy” feeders is available at short notice to any midwife who requires it. There is a special unit for premature infants at both the Richard Murray Hospital, Blackhill, and Dry- burn Hospital, Durham, and, if in other areas, institutional treatment is considered desirable the general practitioner arranges admission to a paediatric unit. An incubator for the transport to hospital of premature babies is kept constantly warmed at the Ambulance Headquarters, Framwellgate Moor, and arrangements are in operation for the use of incubators based at Newcastle upon T5me, Darlington, Gateshead, South Shields, Sunderland and Hartlepool Ambulance Depots and at four hospitals in the County area. I. Maternal Mortality. The following are details of maternal mortality in the county during the past ten years :— Births Maternal registered No. of Mortality Rate. {live and Maternal per 1,000 still). deaths. births registered. 1960 ... 18,045 6 0.33 1961 ... 17,806 5 0.28 1962 ... 18,269 6 0.33 1963 ... 17,983 4 0.22 1964 ... 18,087 2 0.11 1965 ... 17,940 17,293 4 0.22 1966 ... 2 0.12 1967 ... 16,288 2 0.12 1968 ... 13,506 12,975 7 0.52 1969 ... 3 0.23 As in the past details of all maternal deaths are scrutinised by a Regional Consultant who reports direct to the Department of Health and Social Security on the existence of avoidable factors. This decision is arrived at aft;er consideration of information collected by me from appropriate sources, e.g. general prac- titioners, hospitals and local health authority services. J. Maternity Liaison Committees. During the year there were meetings of two Maternity Liaison Committees in the area, at Sunderland and Shotley Bridge.