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
Greenwich 1970
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough]
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and most children registered were removed from the "At Risk"
list as developing normally by the age of one year or 18 months.
The following figures give the number of children on the "At Risk" Register since 1965 with the comparable number of live births in each year:—
| No. on Register | No. of Live Births | |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 933 | 3,722 |
| 1966 | 1,486 | 3,715 |
| 1967 | 1,869 | 3,600 |
| 1968 | 2,280 | 3,404 |
| 1969 | 2,211 | 3,263 |
| 1970 | 2,273 | 3,169 |
During 1970 there were 16 infants on the "At Risk" register
who were observed because they were at risk of becoming "battered
babies".
Battered Babies
A disturbing feature of the present register is the necessity to
include 16 infants who may suffer from the "battered baby"
syndrome.
It has now been realised that some infants who appear in hospital
casualty departments suffering from fractures, bruises and
abrasions reputed to be caused by inexplicable "falls" have, in
fact, been assaulted by their parents.
These parents are often very young, immature and mentally
disturbed, unable to budget adequately or provide themselves with
proper housing in which to rear a family. If evidence of illtreatment
is sufficiently strong and it is thought that the child's life
is in danger, legal proceedings are undertaken in order that the
child may be taken into care. The child may be removed from its
parents or may remain at home while the family is supervised
and guided by frequent visits from a Child Care Officer and Health
Visitor.
During the current year a Circular on this subject of "battered
babies" was received from the Department of Health and Social
Services advising local authorities to review their machinery for
detecting and observing these vulnerable children.
In order to encourage and streamline co-operation between all
interested agencies a meeting was held in this Department
attended by local paediatricians, representatives of the family
doctors and Borough medical staff, medical social workers, child
care officers, nursing officers, police and the N.S.P.C.C. A comprehensive
scheme has now been established whereby a child "at