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

View report page

London County Council 1960

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

This page requires JavaScript

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 1310.0
1450.2
15290.9
161073.3
171665.0
18-1956117.0
20-241,36341.5
25-2960718.4
30-342648.0
35-391263.8
40 or over461.4
Not known170.5
3,292100.0

T able (ii)—Nationality by normal residence

London (Administrative County)ElsewhereTotal
British (United Kingdom)1,3714951,866
Eire454359813
West Indian267118385
European7658134
Any other583694
2,2261,066*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.
63