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THE HEALTH OF BARKING
It would be natural to expect that during the year 1947 more children under
the age of one year attended the clinics, because more children were born, but an
1 even higher percentage of these children attended your clinics than they did in the
previous year. Out of a total number of 1,850 births during the year, 1,720
children attended your clinics which means that only a small percentage of children
born in Barking have not at some time or another attended your clinics as babies.
In this connection, I am happy to be able to say that the number of children
who attended over the age of one year has also shown an increase this year. This
figure of 3,130 is one on which I feel sure we could improve if we had sufficient
staff and if we had adequate premises. You will no doubt in considering this
figure have regard to the fact that some children between the ages of one and five
are in Day Nurseries and of course some of them are in Nursery Classes.
Infant Life Protection. On one occasion only during the year were proceedings
taken or an Order applied for under the Public Health Act, 1936, Sections 206-220,
and this is the first one in ten years. The case was dismissed under the Probation
of Offenders Act, on payment of twenty shillings costs
We do use our every endeavour to see people are well informed of their duties
and responsibilities and your Officers are well advised you would not take proceedings
until you had satisfied yourselves that the offence was not merely one of ignorance.
Health Visiting.
During the year your health visitors made 13,863 home visits.
This figure shows a decrease on last year and is due to two factors—(a) we
have not had the same staff and (b) the demand for the staff at the clinics grew
during 1947.
You have done everything within your power during the year to bring your
staff up to complement, but it has been impossible to get the requisite number of
health visitors. This is a very sorry state of affairs, because the fullest value of
your clinic services can only be obtained where there is constant liaison between
I clinic and home.
Vitamins.
In my last report I expressed concern over the poor take-up of vitamin
supplements for both ante-natal mothers and children under five. Sincc that time
steps ha 0 been taken to make it easier for mothers to obtain these without queueing
and its anendant irritation. At the same time your clinic teams have made a special
point of :mphasising their importance.
A lot of mothers seem to think that cod liver oil is' heating to the blood ' if taken
in the si mmer. I wish to emphasise that this oil with its valuable vitamin content
should be taken all the year round.
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