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Survey of Childhood Malignancies
An investigation into the causes of leukaemia and other malignant diseases
in childhood was started in 1955 by Dr. Alice Stewart, of the Department of Social
Medicine, Oxford University. Doctors from all over the country have participated,
and one assistant medical officer of the London Borough of Enfield continued to
take part in the survey during 1966. A complete medical and family history is
obtained from the parents of children who have died of malignant disease, and a
similar history is completed for a series of carefully matched healthy children.
The main result of the survey so far has been to establish a relationship
between diagnostic X-ray procedures on the foetus and the development of
leukaemia in early childhood. The work is continuing and a further report is
expected in due course.
Phenylketonuria
During the year 3,438 regular screening tests of the urine of babies for phenylketonuria
were carried out. Although no positive cases were found, the knowledge
that children may be saved mental deterioration by this means of early detection
is sufficient incentive to the health visitors, who willingly carry out the large number
of tests.
" Battered Babies " Syndrome
I am glad to be able to say again this year that no incidents of young children
with unexplained injuries have been reported.
The continued concern of the Home Office with this aspect of child welfare
was expressed in the Home Office Circular No. 134/1966, in which the Secretary
of State requested local authority children's departments, in consultation with the
Medical Officer of Health, to review their arrangements for the provision of medical
reports on children in care, to ensure that doctors examining children on their
behalf are aware of the need to report fully on each child's condition. As suggested,
action was taken through the Local Medical Committee for this purpose and the
forms of report were amended appropriately.
The health department's doctors and nurses were re-alerted during the year
to be on the look-out for cases.
The Barrow and Geraldine S. Cadbury Trust, which is supporting an investigation
into the psychopathology of the parents of " battered babies ", has invited any
practitioner who has records of such cases during the last ten years, to communicate
with Professor F. E. Camps, Professor of Forensic Medicine, at the London
Hospital Medical College, London, E.1.
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