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
Leyton 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Leyton]
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127
Investigation into the Incidence of Hypochromic Anaemia in
Pale Children.
I. Report by Dr. Henderson.
The diagnosis of " anaemia " is often made solely by clinical
examination. In view of the fact that in urban areas a large
number of pale children are seen at routine medical inspections
and at minor ailment clinics, it was decided to estimate the blood
haemoglobin of all pale children who attended the Leyton school
minor ailments clinics. Unfortunately, as this investigation proceeded,
it was found impossible, from lack of time, to make blood tests
of all the pale children attending the Leyton minor ailments clinics.
Some 528 children were tested.
It must be made clear that the children tested were specially
selected on account of the pallor of their skin and mucous membranes
and that most of them suffered from some physical defect.
It is reasonable to assume that the incidence of anaemia in this
specially selected group of children is substantially higher than in
the Leyton elementary school population as a whole.
Blood was obtained from the thumb, and Sahli's Hæmo-globinometer was used. The number of children tested, the defects from which they suffered, and the percentage of haemoglobin present in each child's blood are shown in the following table:—
| Defect. | Haemoglobin per cent. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70-74 | 75-79 | 80-84 | 85-89 | 90-95 | 95 & over. | Totals. | |
| " Anaemia " | 4 | 3 | 22 | 23 | 28 | 54 | 134 |
| Debility | 3 | 13 | 29 | 21 | 32 | 68 | 166 |
| Undernourished | 5 | 8 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 39 | 103 |
| Boils | — | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 8 |
| Styes | — | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 27 |
| Blepharitis | — | — | 2 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 16 |
| Sores | — | — | 11 | 8 | 9 | 30 | 58 |
| Gingivitis | — | — | — | 1 | — | 3 | 4 |
| Muscular pains | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 10 | 12 |
| Totals | 12 | 27 | 85 | 79 | 97 | 228 | 528 |
| 2.3% | 5.1% | 16.1% | 15% | 18.3% | 43.1% | ||
Of the 528 children tested, 124 (23.5 per cent.) had a blood
haemoglobin level of less than 85 per cent. whilst only 39 (7.4 per
cent.) had a blood haemoglobin level of less than 80 per cent. It