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school doctors, 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
the records of their health, hospital admissions and accidents upto-date.
In fact, if the information is to be accurate it is very desirable
that it be obtained from the young people themselves.
The study is being organised 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 from 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.
The proposals necessitated asking the school staff about each
child's progress, collecting samples of his reading, writing and
arithmetic, arranging a visit by a health visitor to ask some
questions about the child's health and development, and a medical
examination at which a parent was to be invited to be present.
The second part of the survey, in which we agreed to co-operate,
was completed during the year.
Schizophrenic illness after child-birth
In 1962, the Consultant Psychiatrist at Downview and Banstead
Hospitals asked for help in assessing the long-term results of the
hospitals' mother-and-baby unit, which provides treatment for this
illness. The immediate results of treatment were said to be very
good and the inquiry was intended to discover the later effects on
the mother's health and the health of the family as a whole. For
this, the hospital required the opinion of the health visitor and it
was proposed that a member of the hospital staff should interview
the mother at yearly intervals. For each of the patients from
Downview and Banstead Hospitals, a report on a control family
was required.
The former London County Council undertook to assist in the
work, and we have continued to co-operate during the past year.