View report page

THE HEALTH OF BARKING
During the year the constructional work on the new Government Training
Centre at Thames Road for training building operatives was almost completed.
This Centre accommodates 600 trainees.
Nutrition. It is my opinion that an authoritative statement on the question of
the standard of nutrition to-day has still to be made. Unfortunately a lot of the
statements have occurred in the course of heated debate; even where factual,
these have sometimes been open to misinterpretation.
There is no doubt in my mind that the fall in the maternal mortality and infant
mortality rates can be ascribed to a general improvement in nutrition, but figures
hereon must be interpreted in the light of recent advances in medicine, among which
may be quoted the discovery of penicillin; such advances in medical treatment are
an important factor in the reduction of these mortality rates.
The favourable reports we have been able to submit from time to time on the
rate of growth of school children must, I think, indicate a general improvement in
nutrition, but these figures must be critically analysed, because the fact that the
nutrition in children has been maintained, does not of necessity mean that the
nutrition of the mothers of these families has been equally maintained. Further,
we cannot assume that the nutritional factor is the only factor, because it was known
to me by personal contact that people who had to deal with children in large numbers
both in the East End of London and in Barking found they had to assess children
differently in Barking so far as mental development was concerned, by reason of
this fact, that, by the time the child was 10 or 11 he or she was, on the average, in a
physical group at least a year older than was expected of children who came from the
more crowded parts of the East End of London. From this it would appear quite
clear to those of us who know the difference in the housing conditions, that housing
is a most important factor and, in this connection, I believe the provision of better
facilities for sleeping is very important.
It may be interesting to record that some time ago I was called upon to consider
the question as to whether women are or are not able to stand the pains of childbirth
so well as they could pre-war and I believe this difficult question was submitted to
me by reason of the fact some people thought that women were not able to bear so
well the pains of childbirth because of defective nutrition. I am not in a position to
say whether women do or do not stand the strain of gestation and of looking after
their young children better or worse than before the war—that is to say I have no
reliable measure of information—but as at present advised I believe it reasonable
on general observation to come to the conclusion that women do not quite so well
stand the troubles of gestation and do not stand up to the duties of motherhood so
well as before the war. I am told that women who come back to your post-natal
clinics about two months after the baby is born are not so physically fit as they were
during the time they were carrying.
Nurses Act, 1943, Part II. No applications have been received under this
section of the Nurses Act for licences during 1946.
Page 7