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 1946

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

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- 9 -
As a short term policy, the Council have decided to
establish three or possibly four new infant welfare centres in
North Kensington, and one or possibly two in South Kensington.
They have also approved plans for a foot clinic and a solarium.
The birth rate, which is increasing not only in Kensington
but throughout the country generally, resulted in increased
demands for the maternity and child welfare services.

Table: Comparison with 1938, the last full year before war broke out, reveals the large increase in the number of births despite the fact that the population of the borough last year was 26,000 less than the population in 1938.

Comparison with 1938, the last full year before war broke out, reveals the large increase in the number of births despite the fact that the population of the borough last year was 26,000 less than the population in 1938.

1946.1938.
Population.147,870174,100
Total live births.2,6952,236
Birth rate.18.212.8

Table: Health Visiting Staff. The work performed by the health visiting staff during 1946 in regard to maternity and child welfare is summarised in the following tablet:-

Health Visiting Staff. The work performed by the health visiting staff during 1946 in regard to maternity and child welfare is summarised in the following tablet:-

First visits to infants (0-1 year)2,131
Revisits to infants (0-1 year)6,672
Visits to children between 1 and 5 years7,633
Stillbirth enquiries41
Visits to ophthalmia neonatorum cases49
Visits to measles cases317
Visits to whooping cough cases324
Visits to puerperal fever cases12
Visits to puerperal pyrexia cases14
Visits to enteritis cases119
Infantile death enquiries119
Ante-natal visits2,436
Half-day at welfare centres2,604
Visits to foster mothers539
Visits to registered daily guardians72
Other visits3,246

Table: Ante-natal Clinics and Infant Welfare Centres. The work at these institutions during 1946 is shown in the following table:-

Ante-natal Clinics and Infant Welfare Centres. The work at these institutions during 1946 is shown in the following table:-

Sessions at which doctors attended for ante natal consultations749
Individual mothers who attended ante-natal consultations2,870
Attendances of ante-natal mothers13,472
Sessions at which doctors attended for postnatal consultations50
Individual mothers who attended post-natal consultations169
Sessions at which doctors attended for infant consultations655
Individual children who attended for the first time:-
0-1 year1,733
1-5 years240
Attendances of children at doctors' consultations:-
0-1 year7,721
1-5 years3,902
Attendances at centres of children for all purposes:-
0-1 year20,288
1-5 years6,521