Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Poplar, Metropolitan Borough]
This page requires JavaScript
145
woollies for the babies, clothes and shoes for jumble sales, toys and
rocking-horses, motor-cars, etc., for the Clinics, gifts for the Mothers'
Christmas Tea; to the United Services Fund for grants towards Convalescent
Home treatment; the Hospital Sunday Fund for grants towards
artificial dentures.
THE OBSERVATION WARDS, WELLINGTON ROAD.
Report of Dr. H. St. H. Vertue, Consulting Physician at the
Maternity and Child Welfare Observation Wards.
Consultations were held every Friday afternoon (except Good Friday)
at the Observation Wards, and in addition numerous visits were paid to
observe the progress of the cases in the Wards.
Dyspepsia and Malnutrition due to difficulty in Artificial Feeding | 20 |
Intolerance for Cow's Milk | 1 |
Habitual Vomiting | 1 |
Malnutrition due to Faulty Diet or Environment | 9 |
Food refusal | 3 |
Rickets | 4 |
38 |
As has been the previous experience, cases of difficulty in artificial
feeding formed the majority. As a rule, these children when they come
in are not only poorly nourished, but also have a very impaired digestive
power. Mistakes have often been made by the mother in the first place,
either in the food chosen or in the method of giving it. Seeing her offspring
not thriving, the mother has usually attempted to remedy matters by
giving more and more food or by frequent changes of diet. The
Observation Wards afford an admirable opportunity firstly, of resting
the child's harassed digestive functions and, secondly, of restoring it's
nutrition. Quite a simple method of feeding will usually attain this
object. In the worst cases, however, the food (usually milk) has to be
subjected to some comparatively elaborate preparation until the digestive
functions are fully restored. After that, a food is introduced which the
mother herself can easily prepare at home. Our objects in all such cases