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9
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
No particular illnesses gave especial difficulties, but
there was the usual prevalence of the common infections of
childhood. A campaign to ensure that as many children as
possible had reinforcing injections against diphtheria was
carried out during the early part of the year. The reporting.of
cases in adjacent London boroughs was an added stimulus to
parents and there was a satisfactory response.
HEIGHTS AND WEIGHTS
The figures of average heights and weights are recorded in
Appendix B, Table II, and show once again that the post-war
trend of yearly increases has ceased and a new level of averages
has been reached. It was decided that for the two intermediate
age groups presented for routine medical examinations, weighing
and measuring will not be carried out in future.
VISION TESTS
For the usual Tables, see Appendix VIII . The results now
being obtained from the routine testing of school entrants
suggest that significant defects may exist in babies for which
early ascertainment and treatment are required. How this can be
achieved is not yet clear, but it may be possible to comment
further in a future report.
TONSILLECTOMY
The Report of the Chief Medical Officer of the Ministry of
Education 1958/9 included tables showing for the different local
authority areas of the country the percentages of children who
had undergone the operation for removal of tonsils. These differ
markedly from one area to another without any apparent geographical
reasons. Thus, for children of 14 years of age,
living in County Boroughs, the percentages range from 13.9 to 35.
The percentages in County Boroughs were higher than in Counties
and it would be possible to assume that the children living in
towns were more prone to infections of the nose and throat than
those living in country areas.
In the Counties themselves, however, the percentages vary so
widely that one cannot accept this conclusion as valid; for example,
in Bedfordshire, the percentage amongst all 14-year old