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
Bethnal Green 1934
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bethnal Green Borough]
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47
their families or their circumstances. It is remarkable how
often a growing toddler, an ex-baby, will prevent the successful
breast feeding of its successor in the family and how frequently
the vicious circle set up by the worried mother who has
therefore badly managed children, reacts on the well-being of
the new baby.
Records:—
| New cases | 221 |
| Brought forward from 1933 | 15 |
| Subsequent attendances | 437 |
| Total attendances | 673 |
| Doctors' consultations | 164 |
| Number of sessions | 51 |
| Average attendance per session | 13.2 |
| Results on discharge from the clinic :— | |
| Breast fed | 113 |
| ,, „ with Complementary feed | 84 |
| Weaned | 7 |
| Removed | 17 |
| Total | 221 |
| Results shown by visiting homes at 6 months old:— | |
| Breast fed | 85 |
| ,, ,, with Complementary feed | 59 |
| Weaned | 59 |
| Removed | 17 |
| Died (Septicemia) | 1 |
| Total | 221 |
| Carried forward to 1935 | 15 |
| Reasons for weaning in 59 cases :— | |
| Breast milk failed | 13 |
| Mother worried | 10 |
| ,, refused to breast feed | 14 |
| „ at work | 3 |
| Illness of mother | 15 |
| „ ,, infant | 4 |
| Failure of breast milk in 13 cases was due to:- | |
| Badly managed infant | 6 |
| Mother worried | 5 |
| Home conditions | 1 |
| Debility of mother | 1 |
| Infants died (Septicemia—Otitis Media) | 1 |