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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13
CARE OF PREMATURE INFANTS.
Information regarding the birth weight is now given on the notification cards and from this information the following statistics regarding premature births have been compiled :
| No. of premature births | No. who died during first 24 hours | No. who died between 24 hours and one month | No. who survived at end of one month | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| At home | 18 | 4 | 2 | 12 |
| In hospital or nursing homes | 85 | 5 | 7 | 73 |
Special equipment is available for the care of premature
babies born at home. Electric blankets, hot water bottles, and
other items are provided, while special cots will be available
whenever delivery can be secured (there has been a delay of almost
a year in the delivery of these cots).
Summary of the Visits made by the Health Visitors.
| Visits to children under 12 months:— | (1946) | (1947) t |
|---|---|---|
| First visits | 4,182 | 3,656 |
| Return visits | 3,092 | 3,711 |
| Visits to children 1 to 5 years of age | 4,920 | 5,099 |
| Visits to expectant mothers | 1,676 | 1,588 |
| Visits to investigate infant deaths and still-births | 23 | 13 |
| Special visits or investigations | 253 | 211 |
| Visits to cases of Ophthalmia Neonatorum | — | 6 |
| Visits to cases of Measles and Whooping Cough | 21 | 71 |
| Visits to cases of Scarlet Fever on discharge from the Isolation Hospital | 83 | 29 |
| Visits to cases of Poliomyelitis | — | 9 |
| Inspections of Women's Lavatories | 31 | 22 |
| Visits to children under care of foster-mothers | 251 | 294 |
| Other visits | 304 | 103 |
| Total Visits | 14,836 | 14,812 |