London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Leyton 1946

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Leyton]

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78
Observations by Dr. Mary Gilchrist.
The "Entrants" group shows little change when compared
with comparative records made during the war; but, when
allowance is made for the normal fluctuations in the heights and
weights of both boys and girls, the 1945 figures indicate that there
was in that year a relatively subnormal gain in weight of seven-year
old children, especially in the case of girls. Fortunately, this
tendency has been checked in 1946. The impression while examining
this group—that the children born in 1939 and 1940 had not
done so well as children born in the later years of the war—also
appears to be substantiated to some extent.
In the Second and Third Age Group, the 1946 figures again
show an upward trend in heights and weights. Before the war
these figures' had been steadily improving. That improvement
was not only checked during the war, but by 1945 the heights and
weights showed a deterioration. This lost ground has now been
regained in the case of both boys and girls.
Rationing, and particularly bread rationing, affects the older
school child almost as much as the adolescent; and it is reassuring
to see that it has not had any adverse effect. School meals are

Second Age Group.

Second Age Group1943194419451946
Boys:—•
No. examined474362535622
Average height51.4851.4051.4952.28
Average weight63.7164.3863.5263.07
Girls:—
No. examined414285430589
Average height51.1851.0051.3452.41
Averahe weight62.3862.3462.3963.76

Third Age Group.

Third Age Group1943194419451946
Boys:—
No. examined410393362461
Average height54.4258.7157.9860.00
Average weight87.7390.1288.5895.14
Girls:—
No. examined434366381453
Average height59.3158.9358.2059.80
Average weight91.8291.2093.2194.07