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 1940
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Dagenham]
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and a Health Visitor. Of the total cases investigated,
only two were notified as suffering from true Ophthalmia
Neonatorum.
Pemphigus.
During the year, there were six notifications of
children suffering from Pemphigus, five of whom were
removed to hospital and the remainder treated at home;
all recovered.
Maternal Mortality.
Seven cases of maternal mortality were assigned to
this district, giving a maternal mortality rate of 4.09
compared with 2.16 for England and Wales and 2.57 for
this district for the preceding year.
Work of Health Visitors.
The following table shows the number of visits paid by the Health Visitors during the year:—
| (a) To expectant mothers | First visits 365 |
| Total visits 543 | |
| (b) To children under one year of age | First visits 1,637 |
| Total visits 6,213 | |
| (c) T o children between the ages of one and five years | Total visits 17,259 |
| Grand Total | 24,015 |
Although the number of births is somewhat less than
in previous years, the work done by the Health Visitors
has increased. This is partly due to additional duties
which they now have to undertake and are directly connected
with the war.
1 here is a general tendency throughout the Borough
value the work of Health Visitors more as time goes on.
It is a rare event now-a-days for a Health Visitor to be