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
Ealing 1947
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ealing]
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11
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE
With the number of births showing yet another increase (3,666
live births compared with 3,505 in 1946) it is not surprising that
the Maternity and Child Welfare Service had to deal with ever
increasing demands for advice and assistance.
The distribution of these births according to the place where they occurred provides a striking illustration of the great demand for hospital accommodation.
| Births in Perivale Maternity Hospital | 970 |
| Births in other hospitals | 1,110 |
| Births in nursing homes | 641 |
| Births at home | 945 |
| 3,666 |
Additional sessions, both ante-natal and child welfare, have
been necessary to deal with the increased attendances. Even so,
the need for additional health centre facilities has become more
and more apparent, as there has often been over-crowding in the
existing buildings. Proposals to provide temporary health centre
facilities in South Ealing and in West Twyford have received
special consideration throughout the year and schemes to adapt
shop premises for the purpose have been prepared. As with all
proposals for new buildings, the approval of the Minister of Health
had to be obtained. Before granting his approval the Minister
had to seek the views of the County Council on the proposal, in
view of the imminent transfer of the welfare services to the County
Authority. At the end of the year the matter was still sub judice.
Several new facilities having as their objective the welfare of
the mother or the child, were provided for the f rst time during
the year. Every ante-natal patient can now be referred to an
obstetric consultant for examination. Two sessions are held each
week, one at the Mattock Lane Health Centre and the other at
the Ravenor Park Health Centre. This routine examination takes
place at about the 36th week of pregnancy, but patients can be
referred for special examination whenever necessary.
Another facility provided during the year has been the
extension of the scheme of immunisation to include protection
against whooping cough. In view of the serious effects of both
diphtheria and whooping cough among very young children, the
age at which immunisation is offered has been put forward.
Notices are now sent out to the parents of all children when they
attain the age of six months. Protection against both diphtheria
and whooping cough is obtained at the same time, by three
injections of combined vaccine at intervals of four weeks. It must