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In view of the tendency of young children to put objects in their mouths, the application of B.S.I..
standards to paint has been a useful contribution to home safety. However, the following example will
show that one should not allow oneself to be lulled into a sense of false security because modern paint
of low lead content has been used. A twenty-two month old twin was admitted to hospital with convulsions
due to leadpoisoning. The other twin was also found to be suffering from the condition. Both had been
chewing energetically at the woodwork of their cots and the window sills of their small room. The latter
had been painted fairly recently, using a modern paint. The paint of the cots had a low lead content, as
had the superficial layer on the window cills; but the children had gnawed right through the paint down to
the underlying wood (see photograph). The deeper layers of paint, estimated to have been there thirty to
fifty years, contained fifty per cent of lead, and were clearly the cause of the trouble.
When one considers the amount of old lead; containing paint concealed in rooms all over the country,
the size and difficulty of the problem becomes apparent. The only way to deal with it is to remove it
completely before repainting with indoor paints of recent manufacture. This would add considerably to
the cost of redecoration, and may well not be thought worthwhile, as accidents like this are extremely
rare. It is interesting to reflect, moreover, that the two children would probably have been all right if
their cots had been one foot from the wall, and they had had to concentrate their energies on the cots.
It is reassuring that there was no death among these five cases, and all have made satisfactory
recoveries, but it is obvious that parents must take care to protect theirchildrenfromthis danger, and
that more research will be necessary in the future.
CARE OF MOTHERS AND YOUIMG CHILDREN
Notification of Births
The following table shows the births notified during the year-
Live Births (a) Domiciliary 858
(b) Hospital or Nursing Home 4824
Still Births (a) Domiciliary 2
(b) Hospital or Nursing Home 76
5760
Maternal Deaths
It is regrettable to have to report that there were seven deaths associated with pregnancy and child
bearing during the year. This figure is considerably above the national average.
Three deaths occurred in early pregnancy; one a ruptured ectopic gestation and two abortions. In
both the last two cases large families were left motherless.
Of the four cases who died after full term delivery, two were the result of post partum haemorrhage.
One died immediately following the birth, and the other although she survived the immediate disaster,
had suffered such severe kidney damage that in spite of the most modern medical treatment she died
twelve weeks after the birth. Both babies survived in these cases.
The other two deaths were associated with severe toxaemia of pregnancy and occurred soon after
delivery. In one case the baby was stillborn, but in the other, twins, a boy and a girl, survived.
Family Planning
In February 1966 the Minister of Health issued a circular urging local authorities to review their
present arrangements for family planning advice and treatment and suggesting ways in which local
services might be further developed.
Considerable discussion ensued within the department and the arrangement for referral by medical
officers for family planning advice of mothers in whom further pregnancy would be detrimental to health
was revised. These cases are referred to the Family Planning Association clinics and the cost is met
by the Council. Increased budgetary provision was made for these cases and increased numbers were
referred this year as compared to previous years, viz. 40 cases in 1966 as compared with nine in 1965.
In addition further premises were made available to the Family Planning Association. A weekly
session was started at Cornwall Road Clinic, N.15. on 26th October 1966, and another has been planned
to start at Fortis Green Clinic early in 1967.
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