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TO THE MAYOR. ALDERMEN AND COUNCILLORS
OF THE METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF ISLINGTON
I am privileged to present the Annual Report on the health and sanitary
conditions for the Metropolitan Borough for 1963.
For many years past, annual increases have been reported in the total number of
births and also in the birth rate, but this sequence was not maintained for 1963.
The number of births at 5,717 was fewer by 80 than in 1962 and the birth rate was
also lower. It remains to be seen, of course, whether this is just a temporary
interruption of the trend or the beginning of a reversal. The last Annual Report
summarized some of the information which became available from the Registrar-General's
Analysis of the 1961 Census Returns, and reference was made to the highlighting by the
Census of the very great housing congestion which is a particular feature of Islington.
In these circumstances, any increase in the size of the family inevitably increases
housing congestion in many families, and with the very great pressure upon hospital
maternity accommodation (approximately 90% of Islington infants are bom in hospital)
it is inevitable that mother and infant are returned to their home after a shorter
period of confinement in hospital than previously. It is a tribute to the maternity
services, hospital, London County Council, and practitioner, and not least, to the
mothers themselves, that the infant mortality rate of 19.4 deaths per 1,000 live
births should continue to be so low relatively to London and to the country as a whole.
This should not be taken as signifying that the risks to infants could not be reduced
even further, and to quite a substantial degree. Preventive efforts have not yet
accomplished all that they can do in this field, which will constitute one of the
Health Service challenges for the new London Borough after 1965.
A health risk which affects only a few but is serious and may be the cause of
permanent damage is lead poisoning, and details will be found in this Report of three
young children who were found to be affected. The source of lead in these cases is
quite typical, that is, the children contracted the habit of chewing painted toys,
painted cot and other woodwork treated with paint containing lead. It is now understood
that paint for internal work is being manufactured with a lead content which is
negligible, and the same precautions are taken by reputable toy manufacturers in this
country. However, old paintwork on cots, window sills, skirtings, etc. may be covered
with a higher lead content paint, particularly undercoatings, and parents whose
children have unfortunately contracted a liking for chewing paint should be aware that
such a habit could be extremely harmful to the child.
Infectious Disease
Recent experiences on the possible hazards of introducing smallpox from abroad
have shown that this applies principally to those travelling by air from other
countries, enabling persons to arrive in this country well within the incubation period
and before the onset of symptoms. Control measures were strengthened during the year by
the introduction of new regulations in respect of the international certificates of
vaccination. Air travellers from or through suspect areas who have refused vaccination
may on arrival be isolated up to 14 days from the date of their departure from the
infected area. There were no smallpox cases during the year, but certain arrivals from
abroad were followed up as in the Report. Experience in 1963 also showed that vigilance
for diphtheria is still necessary. A small outbreak affected six children, one of whom
was severely ill for a time, but fortunately recovered, and no cases proved fatal.
Immunization in infancy with subsequent reinforcement for protection is obviously still
the lesson to be borne in mind by parents.
There was an exceptionally high incidence of dysentery with a record number of
1, 300 cases reported. About half of these were in children of school age and another
third in children under five. In the great majority of these cases, the illness was not
of a severe nature and only 47 cases were removed to hospital, some of them on social