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
Dagenham 1931
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Dagenham]
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In one the patient had a central placenta praevia and in theothera
miscarriage which had been brought about by a douche. Puerjwrai
Septicaemia was certified as the cause of death of 4 women.
Work of the Health Visitors.
Routine visits are paid to infants as soon as possible after the
tenth day and special visits arc paid to cases of Ophthalmia
Neonatorum, Puerperal Fever, Stillbirths, Infant Deaths, etc.
and subsequent to operative treatment of Tonsils and Adenoids.
Each Health Visitor was appointed Infant Protection Visitor for
her own area. The Health Visitors also attend the various clinics.
In the case of Infant Welfare Centres and Ante-natal Clinics, the
Health Visitor is, as far as possible, in charge of the session at which
the mothers from her district attend.
The following table shows the number of visits paid by Health Visitors during the year:–
| (a) To expectant mothers | First visits 278 |
| Total visits 576 | |
| (b) To children under 1 year of age | First visits 2,714 |
| Total visits 7,721 | |
| (c) To children between the ages of 1 and 5 years | Total visits 6,712 |
Infant Welfare Centres.
The number of weekly Infant Welfare Centres at the end of
the year was 9, compared with 8 at the beginning of the year. AH
the Centres are maintained by the Local Aut hority, there being at
each, in addition to the Medical Officer and the two Health Visitors
a clerk for dealing with the distribution of foodstuffs. At some of
the Centres a number of voluntary workers have kindly assisted.
The following table shows the work done at the Infant Welfare Centres during the year:—
| Total attendances at all Centres during the year:— | |
| (1) By children under 1 year of age | 14,845 |
| (2) By children between the ages of 1 and 5 | 9,062 |
| Average attendance of children per session at all Centres during the year | 56 |
| Total number of children who attended at the Centres for the first time during the year:– | |
| (1) Children under 1 year of age | 1,427 |
| (2) Children between the ages of 1 and 5 years | 713 |
| Percentage of total notified births represented by the number of children under 1 year who attended for the first time | 73.7 |