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2
REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH FOR 1961
emphasis, and it has many facets such as the moral, the educational,
the employment of leisure, the spiritual and other related and possibly
more abstruse factors. There are, however, well-recognised reasons
why a high proportion of illegitimate births is to be expected in
London and presumably this would apply to Wandsworth. For
instance, there are proportionately more single women in London
with an influx of a number who may already be pregnant. The
facilities which London provides for an unmarried mother to have
her baby away from her own home, possibly without the knowledge
of relations and friends, and in many cases almost anonymously, are
peculiar to the Metropolis. Particularly good arrangements for antenatal
care and for the confinement are available and after the birth,
help and support from Moral Welfare organisations can be provided.
These are some reasons why London has an attraction for an unmarried
woman who has become pregnant. In Wandsworth, for
instance, there are five Mother and Baby Homes, all run by voluntary
organisations, supported substantially out of public funds, where
unmarried mothers are cared for before their babies are born, where
they can return with their babies and where arrangements can be
made for adoption, if necessary, and for advising and helping the
mother. Many of the girls in these Mother and Baby Homes come,
of course, from areas outside Wandsworth and excellent work is done
by the staff and the moral welfare workers attached to the organisation
to help the mothers, some of whom are quite young. Close
contact is maintained with the health visitors and the Children's
Department, where necessary. Nevertheless, although the problem
in Wandsworth probably is much less serious than would appear
from the figures, it is one which must tax the resources of educationalists,
social workers, moral welfare workers and the churches.
I am glad to be able to report that the slight increase in the infant
mortality rate which I noted last year was not sustained and the
infant mortality rate for 1961 was 20.5 per thousand live births as
compared with 22.7 in 1960.1 dealt at some length with the problem
of further reducing this rate in my report last year and I will say no
more about it now. There were unfortunately five deaths from puerperal
causes in 1961, giving a maternal mortality rate of 0.83.
Nineteen-sixty-one was a year when an increase in the number of
measles cases was expected and duly realised, there being a total of
4,912 cases of this disease notified, making the total of all infectious
diseases 6,109 as against 3,032 in 1960. The decline in the number of
cases of scarlet fever which I noted last year continued in 1961, there
being 107 cases as compared with 172 in 1960. I am also glad to
report that the increase in the number of whooping cough cases
which I reported last year gave way to a considerable reduction,
there being 191 cases. No deaths were reported from whooping
cough but there was one death from measles.
As regards poliomyelitis, 33 cases were reported to us and investigated
but in 30 the diagnosis was not confirmed so that we were left