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

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London County Council 1950

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

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Child Welfare Centres in London, 1950

Health DivisionNumber per 1,000 child population per year*Number of attendances per child per year
SessionsAttendancesChildren
Under 11-4Under 11-4Under 11-4
18410,915652791379141.7
29311,6751,386800514152.7
38711,5741,004796318153.2
47910,9481,055798379142.8
58111,3701,243823280144.4
610715,4241,713905442173.9
76713,4811,564816452173.5
87713,4291,327626336212.9
94510.546719774227143.2
County7912,1241,185786373i153.2

* Within the specified age group.
First attendances at ante-natal clinics amounted to 50 per cent. of all women
needing ante-natal care during the year (as estimated from confinements over a
corresponding later period) compared with 52 per cent. in 1949. Nowadays almost
every expectant mother has ante-natal care. The balance of 50 per cent. receive it
from the hospitals where they will be confined, or from the doctor who has been
booked. Many hospitals refer their booked cases to the Council's ante-natal clinics
for intermediate supervision. The mothers attend the hospitals to book and later in
pregnancy, at the thirty-fourth to thirty-sixth week according to local practice, they
are referred for final examination at the hospital where confinement is to take place.
Though expectant mothers value the medical supervision which they receive at the
Council's clinics from experienced medical officers (they attend about six times during
their pregnancy), it was to be expected that they would tend more and more to avail
themselves of the general practitioner obstetrician service, and towards the end of
1949 there was a slight decline in pressure greater than could be accounted for by the
fall in the birth-rate, though this did not greatly affect the total attendances for the
year, which were well maintained. In 1950 the decline persisted, though not rapidly,
and total attendances were reduced.
The decline in attendance at the special sessions to redevelop breast feeding is
probably the result of increased attention to breast feeding during the post-natal
period and on the part of clinic medical officers at infant welfare sessions. There was
a satisfactory expansion in attendances at educational and advisory sessions, increases
in such attendances having been noted in the previous year. Attendances were well
maintained at the light and massage and foot clinics. Comments on the work of
the dental clinics will be found in the report of the Chief Dental Surgeon (page(19).
Joint arrangements with other Local Health Authorities
Reciprocal arrangements were continued with the Kent county council whereby
expectant mothers and those with young children living in the Mottingham area
may attend either the Kent or London maternity and child welfare centre whichever
may be nearer to their homes.
There has been a temporary withdrawal of some of the reciprocal facilities for
the attendance at the Council's ante-natal, infant welfare and foot clinics in Fernhill
Street, North Woolwich, of women and young children living in that part of the
county. borough of West Ham adjacent to North Woolwich.