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
Barking 1948
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Barking]
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The Health of Barking
Mary asked the dentist what would have happened if one of her teeth had needed
to come out and whether it would have been possible for her to have had gas ?
The dentist was able to reassure her that, generally speaking, expectant mothers
could be given gas almost at any time during pregnancy, although it is not highly
desirable late in pregnancy. Mary, of course, wasn't the only expectant mother that
came to the clinic, and in the table on this page is set out the work that was actually
done.
DENTAL SERVICE—1948.
| Mothers and Toddlers | Adults— Public Scheme | School Children | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of patients treated | 2,163 | 3,908 | 6,440 | 12,511 |
| Attendances for treatment | 4,261 | 11,913 | 12,753 | 28,927 |
| Extractions | 2,765 | 7,024 | 5,966 | 15,755 |
| Administrations of Gas | 730 | 1,230 | 2,715 | 4,675 |
| Fillings | 1,134 | 1,652 | 6,963 | 9,749 |
| Other Operations | 3,256 | 10,142 | 6,271 | 19,669 |
| Dentures supplied | 253 | 1,476 | 110 | 1,839 |
| Sessions (equivalent of) | 364 | 1,095 | 1,216 | 2,675 |
Now everybody in the town wasn't so sound and sensible as Mary, and it is
with regret I have to say that for some of the expectant mothers it was necessary to take
out teeth, and to provide dentures. In fact, dentures were supplied to nearly 200
expectant mothers. Quite frankly, this figure is far too high, and the women of
Barking have got to ask themselves seriously what they can do about it. We cannot
hope to do awa y with fillings and scalings and that sort of thing, but we can hope that
these young people will not need to have their teeth out and artificial teeth put in.
Prematurity.
One thing which hung about Mary like a nightmare whilst she was pregnant
was the possibility of her child being born prematurely. How she got hold of the
fears I don't know, but she had learned that prematurity was one of the conditions
which accounted for a large number of infant deaths.
It is with some diffidence I write on this subject because there are other Marys
who will read what I am writing and who will be worried, and indeed I would not
write on this subject at all if I were not able to introduce a note of optimism.
If, therefore, my reader gets a little gloomy when I give him or her the facts, I
want them to wait until they have read all I have to say.
It is no good blinding your eyes to the fact that one-sixth of all the children
who died under the age of one year during 1948 were born prematurely, and that
of those who died within the first month of life no less than one in three were
premature babies.
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