London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Lewisham 1970

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

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Table 11

Congenital malformations reported: by parity

ParityNumber of Children
027
121
218
38
43
52
61
71
81
82

ADOPTIONS AND BOARDING-OUT
Before a child is placed for adoption or boarding-out a medical report is obtained
by the Council's Children's Officer. The report is usually made by a general practitioner,
visiting medical officer of a residential nursery or a hospital doctor. Although
these medical reports meet the statutory requirements it is the Council's practice for
such reports to be submitted to the Medical Officer of Health before a child is adopted
or boarded-out. 69 adoption and boarding-out reports were examined and reports on
60 prospective parents were scrutinised during the year.
In order to assist medical officers to advise adoption agencies more effectively
on medical aspects of adoption, improved report forms have been produced by the
medical group of the Association of British Adoption Agencies and accepted for
use by the Borough of Lewisham.
Medical examinations of prospective adopters are carried out as previously by
general practitioners, but now more information is available on the new forms. The
examination of infants being placed for adoption requires considerable experience of
developmental paediatrics, and a departmental medical officer highly qualified in
this field now undertakes these examinations. Babies who are considered to be at
risk of developing a handicap because of an adverse family history or an abnormal
birth are examined by a consultant paediatrician with whom the departmental
medical officer concerned works closely.
All these reports, together with any additional information from hospitals or
general practitioners which he may feel it necessary to obtain (with the permission
of the persons concerned), are then available to the Medical Officer of Health for
scrutiny and consideration. In this way he is able to assess more accurately the medical
suitability of prospective adopters, as well as the potential of the infants concerned,
and to advise the Council accordingly.
BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED PERSONS
136 examinations were arranged in connection with certification under the National
Assistance Act, 1948, of blind and partially sighted persons. In addition, certificates
accepted from other local authorities and hospitals numbered 82. This certification
facilitates the provision of the Council's welfare services.
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