Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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1956 1957 1958 1959 1960
Number of voluntary homes receiving grant at 31
December 18 17 16 15 15
Number of expectant and nursing mothers admitted 1,306 1,141 1,191 1,072 1,136
Total grants £10,758 £11,360 £10,476 £10,237 £8,865
Moral welfare associations—Financial assistance to the five large moral welfare associations
of the major religious denominations was continued.
1956 1957 1958 1959 1960
Total grants £9,625 £9,625 £12,531 £13,555 £12,800
Number of expectant and nursing mothers advised 2,908 2,684 2,975 3,005 3,292
The following statistical tables relate only to cases dealt with by the five moral welfare
associations (London Diocesan Council, Southwark Diocesan Association, Westminster
Catholic Social Welfare Committee (Crusade of Rescue), Southwark Catholic Rescue
Society, Jewish Board of Guardians).
Table (i)— Mothers seen for the first time during the 12 months ended 30.9.60, by age
No. | % | |
---|---|---|
Under 13 | 1 | 0.0 |
14 | 5 | 0.2 |
15 | 29 | 0.9 |
16 | 107 | 3.3 |
17 | 166 | 5.0 |
18-19 | 561 | 17.0 |
20-24 | 1,363 | 41.5 |
25-29 | 607 | 18.4 |
30-34 | 264 | 8.0 |
35-39 | 126 | 3.8 |
40 or over | 46 | 1.4 |
Not known | 17 | 0.5 |
3,292 | 100.0 |
T able (ii)—Nationality by normal residence
London (Administrative County) | Elsewhere | Total | |
---|---|---|---|
British (United Kingdom) | 1,371 | 495 | 1,866 |
Eire | 454 | 359 | 813 |
West Indian | 267 | 118 | 385 |
European | 76 | 58 | 134 |
Any other | 58 | 36 | 94 |
2,226 | 1,066* | 3,292 | |
*864 were pregnant on arrival in London. |
During the year special consideration was given to the complex problem of providing
suitable accommodation for expectant mothers still receiving full-time education, whose
numbers, regrettably, have increased in recent years.
In the majority of cases these are girls committed by the courts into care of the Children's
department, taken into care because of pregnancy or found to be pregnant after being taken
into care.
For obvious reasons it is not desirable that these children should be placed in mother
and baby homes with adult unmarried mothers. Furthermore, the mother and baby homes
run by voluntary bodies do not normally accept expectant mothers until six or eight weeks
before the expected date of confinement and a special placing for the mother-to-be of
school age is, of course, necessary much earlier than this.
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