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
Edmonton 1928
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Edmonton]
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MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
The following clinics are held for the benefit of nursing and expectant
mothers and for children under the age of five:—
One ante-natal clinic weekly.
Four sessions for children weekly.
Three sessions for orthopaedic cases weekly.
One dental session weekly.
The first three are held at Brookfield House adjoining the Town Hall ;
the dental clinic is held at the School Clinic in Pymmes Park.
Births Notified during the year were:—
Live births, by midwives 1,655
„ „ by doctors and parents 380
Still-births, by midwives 76
„ by doctors and parents 22
Total 2,133
The North Middlesex Hospital, with its Maternity wards, is in the Edmonton
district : births occurring there are notifiable in the district in which the
births occur. Deducting births from residents of other districts brings the
number of Edmonton births to 1,329.
The work carried out at the various clinics, tabulated according to attendances, etc., may be summarised:—
| Number of Sessions. | New Cases. | Total Attendances. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ante-natal Clinic | 43 | 157 | 665 |
| Infant Welfare | 167 | 671 | 12,358 |
| Dental Clinic | 39 | 184 | 441 |
| Orthopaedic Clinic | 133 | 62 | 501 |
| Sewing Class | 34 | — | 433 |
Towards the end of the year, arrangements were being made for the
establishment of a Child Welfare Clinic in the Bush Hill Park area: this came
into operation early in 1929.
The average attendance at the Infant Welfare Clinic for the year was 74.
This is a large average, for it means that on occasions the numbers run up
to 100, and sometimes appreciably over that figure.
Unfortunately, the premises are rather cramped on these occasions, and
the limitation of room makes the work far more harassing than it might be if
the conditions were more favourable.
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