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63
Health Surveys
From time to time surveys are carried out by other bodies on
some aspect of health or growth and development of children and
the Health Department is asked to assist. These surveys usually
mean a great deal of extra work for the staff and they may be
very time-consuming but it is felt that wherever possible we must
give all the help we can in the hope that the mass of detailed
information provided will contribute to the success of the research
or survey and thus add to our knowledge of health problems.
Details of some of the surveys in which the department has
participated during the year are given below:—
National Survey of Health and Development
This study was started in 1946, when every woman who bore a
child in the first week of March of that year was interviewed as
part of a survey of the economic and social aspects of childbearing.
Five thousand of these babies have been followed-up
from birth to the age of 19 with the aid of school nurses, health
visitors, teachers, school doctors and, more recently, youth employment
officers and staff at technical colleges. The mothers
themselves have not been approached since 1961 and it is felt
that the young people are now old enough to co-operate directly
in the attempts which are being made to keep records of their
health, hospital admissions and accidents up-to-date. In fact, if
the information is to be accurate it is very desirable that it be
obtained from the young people concerned. These records are
unique as studies of the health of young people.
The study is being organized by the Medical Research Unit of
the London School of Economics, who have asked Medical Officers
of Health to arrange for short annual visits to be made to the
young people themselves to collect this information together with
a few facts about employment.
A number of visits were made during the year to young people
living in Wandsworth who have been concerned in this survey.
National Child Development Study
In 1958 a survey of virtually every baby born on the 3rd to 9th
March, 1958, was carried out with the co-operation of all the
mothers as well as many doctors and midwives throughout the
country. As a result of this study a great deal was learned about
the children's growth, health and education.
For this reason, it was decided to follow-up the children (some
16,000 in all, about 90 of whom are Wandsworth residents) who
were included in the survey.