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
Bexley 1970
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bexley]
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Whatever the outcome of these further deliberations there can be no doubt that the exercise
has proved valuable in alerting all concerned to the importance of developmental tests and early
detection of abnormality. The considerable experience of this scheme gained in Bexley does
not point to its discontinuation.
The number of congenital malformations and the number of cases and deaths due to them in 1970 with those also for 1969 shown for comparison were as follows:—
| 1969 | 1970 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total number of malformations | 91 | 92 |
| Number of cases with malformations | 71 | 83 |
| Number of deaths due to malformations | 12 | 8 |
| (Total deaths of infants under one year of age from all causes) | 54 | 54 |
Further details of these malformations in Bexley are as follows: —
| 1969 | 1970 | |
|---|---|---|
| Central Nervous System | ||
| Anencephalus | 7 | 4 |
| Hydrocephalus | 5 | 2 |
| Spina Bifida | 8 | 2 |
| Other | 2 | 3 |
| 22 | 11 | |
| Eye and Ear | ||
| Eye | 2 | 1 |
| Ear | 5 | 4 |
| Other | — | — |
| 7 | 5 | |
| Alimentary System | ||
| Cleft lip | 1 | 5 |
| Cleft palate | 4 | 7 |
| Other | 4 | 6 |
| 9 | 18 |