London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1952
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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52
who have children under five, to be sent to a recuperative centre for several weeks for
training in mothercraft, appropriate charges being made under the Council's assessment
scales. Such mothers are generally below par physically and the health of the children
may be affected as home circumstances may make them unable to benefit from the child
welfare and school health services. This is an experiment the results of which will be
carefully watched.
Joint
arrangement!
with other
local
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.
The arrangements whereby mothers and young children living in that part of the
county borough of West Ham adjacent to North Woolwich may, if they so wish,
attend the Council's North Woolwich Welfare Centre, Fernhill Street, E.16, were
continued.
Family
planning
In some health divisions the Council holds family planning sessions totalling six
per week to which women for whom further pregnancy would be detrimental to
health are referred. Where no such facilities exist, women are referred to the Family
Planning Association, a per capita payment being made to the Association, and during
1952, 917 women were referred. Accommodation at certain of the Council's welfare
centres is also let conditionally free of charge to the Family Planning Association for
the purpose of holding family planning clinics. At the end of the year 32 weekly sessions
were being held by the Association in Council or other premises.
Child welfare
The 2-5 year age group. It has been found that about one-fifth or the infants who attena in response to the invitations to the toddlers' clinics are referred to family doctors o hospitals for treatment for ailments which the parents might not otherwise hav recognised.
| Year | Clinics at end of year (including toddlers) | Sessions per month | Attendances | Percentage of infants attending a centre at least once in the first year of life | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under | 1 year | Over 1 year | Special toddlers | |||||
| First | Total | First | Total | |||||
| 165 | 1,784 | 48,489 | 683,089 | 6,641 | 282,202 | 35,500 | 84 | |
| 1950 | 169 | 1,815 | 43,916 | 649,983 | 5,496 | 245,484 | 41,817 | 79 |
| 1951 | 169 | 1,893 | 45,534 | 626,164 | 4,540 | 235,942 | 43,145 | 82 |
| 1952 | 169 | 2,029 | 44,452 | 653,759 | 4,147 | 229,134 | 43,976 | 84 |
Child
guidance
Two child guidance clinics for the pre-school child, taken over from the metropolitan
borough councils, have been continued because of the value of the work done and as
an experiment in this particular field. The psychiatrists see children, and their parents,
referred from local child welfare centres because of various behaviour disorders.
Expansion is not taking place, however, until experience has shown the most appropriate
methods of meeting the needs of the pre-school child. To this end, arrangements