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3
HEALTH SERVICES.
In accordance with the instructions of the Ministry of Health
this Annual Report, as the four previous reports in war years,
is of a restricted character but with this difference, that it is now
permitted to quote the estimated population of the Borough and
the figures or rates based on this population.
The maternal mortality, as anticipated in the previous report,
is low for 1944 and counterbalances the high rate for 1943, so that
by taking the average of the two years a rate comparable with the
low rates of previous years is obtained. The infant mortality rate
of 41, although one above that of the previous year, is low compared
with that for the whole of England and Wales for which the rate
is 46 per 1,000 births.
*
The Maternity and Child Welfare Service continued to function
without interruption during the year except when the flying bombs
became active. Ten War-time Nurseries became reduced to nine
in July when the South Ealing Nursery was so damaged that it
had to be demolished. Fortunately none of the staff or children
in the nursery at the time received other than trivial injuries.
Notifiable infectious diseases were low in incidence, the small
number of cases of diphtheria, 17 during the whole year, being
remarkable, a result which is no doubt attributable to immunisation
of the children.
The School Medical Service continued to function as in the
previous year in spite of staffing difficulties. Scabies continued to
be prevalent although very active measures were taken for its control.
Cleanliness of the heads of the children continued to improve and
a figure of only 2.5 per cent. of children with dirty heads is
especially remarkable in a year in which both parents and children
were disturbed by enemy air activity and consequent evacuation.
There have been no signs of impairment of the nutrition of
the children who have benefited greatly from meals and milk
supplied in school and from the protective foodstuffs supplied by
the Government.