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 Wanstead and Woodford]
This page requires JavaScript
The following table sets out statistically the work of the Health Visitors in the Borough during 1950:—
Expectant Mothers (first visits) | 147 |
Expectant Mothers (re-visits) | 72 |
Infants under 1 year (first visits) | 867 |
Infants under 1 year (re-visits) | 234 |
Infants 1 to 5 years (first visits) | 1926 |
Infants 1 to 5 years (re-visits) | 3352 |
Stillbirth enquiries | 8 |
Infant Deaths | 13 |
Tuberculous Patients | 42 |
Aged and Infirm | 17 |
Day Nursery Applications | 168 |
School Children | 271 |
Other Visits | 108 |
TOTAL | 7225 |
Midwifery and Home Nursing
The number of domiciliary confinements in the Borough attended by
the County Council's midwives was 207, 141 in their capacity as midwife
and 66 as maternity nurse. Of this total 142 received gas and air analgesia,
a percentage of 68.6.
Puerperal Pyrexia Regulations, 1939.
During the year 10 cases of puerperal pyrexia were notified, nine of
these following hospital confinement and one domiciliary. This figure
of 10 gives a notification rate of 11.5 for the Borough as compared to 5.81
for England and Wales.
It should be pointed out, however, that this notification rate does not
present a true picture of the position so far as it affects residents of the
Borough for 4 of these cases occurred in patients who reside outside the
Borough but whose confinement took place in a hospital within the BoroughThe
regulations provide that the notification must be accepted by the
Authority in whose area the hospital in situated since the disease occurs at
that address. So far as residents of this district are concerned 6 cases
occurred which would produce a true notification rate to residents, per
1000 total births, of 6.9.
Maternal Mortality.
One death occurred as a result of pregnancy, child-bearing or associated
therewith and is referred to in Section A of this report.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
No cases of ophthalmia neonatorum occurred in the Borough during
the year 1950.
42