View report page

96
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
services. Of these, in Balham 30 were registered and 26
non-registered; in Tooting 180 were registered and 77 nonregistered;
in Wandsworth 261 were registered (Fairfield 77,
Springfield 184) and 118 non-registered (Fairfield 43, Springfield
75).
"Great difficulty was experienced in tracing the illegitimate
births; wrong addresses were frequently given, or the
mothers removed as soon after the birth as possible. In all,
55 illegitimate children were visited (Balham seven, Tooting
26, Fairfield Ward four, Springfield Ward 18). Of these,
seven died in Tooting and two in the Fairfield Ward of
Wandsworth; 12 had removed after our first visit and we
were unable to trace them. One only of the illegitimate
infants was premature and five were delicate from birth. It
will be seen that the majority of these children were born
strong and healthy, and yet the percentage of deaths is very
high. One of the probable causes of this mortality is the
putting of the children out to nurse; 11 of the babies were
tended by strangers, and 10 were looked after by the grandmother,
in each case necessitating the exposure of the infant
to the early morning and night air.
"The Diarrhoea epidemic in July, August and September
was exceptionally severe, and we are glad to state that out
of the 1,626 infants visited by us during the year only 29
succumbed to this disease. 34 died from other causes,
chiefly respiratory complaints. A number of deaths were due
to prematurity; many infants had died from this cause previous
to our first call, and of those whom we did visit 37 were
premature and 56 were delicate from birth.
"Many sanitary defects were discovered in the course of
our visits; these were remedied, or if involving structural
defects, referred to you. In Balham 14 intimation notices
were served, in Tooting 75, in Wandsworth 99 (Southfield
one, Springfield 57, Fairfield 41). One statutory notice was
required in Tooting and 12 in Wandsworth (Springfield five,
Fairfield seven).
"We realise that we have only been able to touch the
fringe of the vast problem of how to help the mothers to a