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

Kensington 1923

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]

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Table: The work done by the Infant Welfare Centres during the year 1923 is shown in the following table :—

The work done by the Infant Welfare Centres during the year 1923 is shown in the following table :—

Particulars of Work done.Archer StreetBramley Road ] with Kenley Street branchCamp-den HillEarl's Court.GolborneLan-caster RoadRay-medeTotals
1—No. of births occurring in the area of the Centre suitable for Welfare attention1707601433553783583392503
2—No. of sessions at which doctor attended for infant consultations91199931029997150831
3—No. of sessions at which doctor attended for special ante-natal consultations212*1211-2247115
4—Total number of individual mothers who attended during the year4507381251061766444462685
5—Number of individual mothers who attended ante-natal sessions during the year42482650343798335
6—Total number of individual children who attended during the year (Old)2304471511932342583261839
,, ,, ,, (New)238478991662863112881866
7—Number seen by doctor at consultations—
1. Ante-natal mothers451048510833213240828
2. Post-natal mothers26952183411221528322245
3. Children269550902201336523473105489723700
8—Average number seen by doctor at consultations—
1. Ante-natal mothers2.1—7.19.8—9.75_
2. Post-natal mothers2.92.60.13.31.21.55.5_
3. Children29.625.623.732.923.732.032.6_
9—Number of individual children weighed during the year468923991935205666143383
10—Total weighings320470522201402239744057872733237
11—Number of first visits paid by salaried workers to—
1. Expectant mothers41180104773136.198685
2. Children ...36631947—--;J00
12—Total number of home visits paid by salaried workers to—
1. Expectant mothers902579683952424291292
2. Children156816581054149015281556260811,462
13—Number of home visits paid to children by voluntary workers —
1. First visits———————_
2. Total visits-283-651707—2,001

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The home visiting figures do not include visits paid by the Council's Women Health Officers.
•Ante-natal Clinic commenced in December, 1923.
General Observations on the Work of the Infant Welfare Centres.
Injant Consultation Sessions are held by medical officers in all Centres in the afternoons from
2 to 4 p.m. At Lancaster Road Centre there is one session held on Thursday mornings from
10 a.m. to ]2 noon. At four Centres there are two sessions per week; at two Centres three
sessions per week; and at Bramley Road there are three in addition to the weekly session at the
Branch in Kenley Street. The Centres are in every case fortunate in having very able and keen
medical officers who show considerable ability and interest in their work.
Special Ante-natal Sessions are held at all except the Golborne Centre where expectant
mothers are seen privately on infant consultation days. The work of ante-natal consultations is
growing as it becomes better known amongst mothers, and, in view of the excellent arrangements
made by the Voluntary Committees, it is to be hoped that mothers will take full advantage ot
them, and thus remove as far as possible all danger of disease and accident in their
confinements.
The guidance and teaching at all Centres is both individual and collective. Individual advice
is given at the medical consultations and in the course of home visiting, collective advice being
given to mothers by simple class teaching.
Home Visiting.—Before the Maternity and Child Welfare work in the Borough was
co-ordinated, overlapping in home visiting by the workers of the Municipal and Voluntary
bodies was general, but since the inauguration of the present system, this waste of effort and
source of annoyance to parents has been completely avoided.