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Hospital Treatment of Children under 5 years of Age.
Treatment for children suffering from Marasmus and the operative treatment of enlarged tonsils and adenoids
continued to be available at the Willesden Municipal Hospital. Owing to the anterior poliomyelitis epidemic no
operations for tonsils and adenoids were performed after June.
42 children were under treatment for Marasmus and 90 for enlarged tonsils and adenoids and mastoid
disease. 1 of the children suffering from Marasmus died. Children were admitted to hospital to a limited extent
for orthopaedic conditions. Arrangements were made with the orthopaedic surgeon and the physiotherapist for
the treatment of cases of infantile paralysis at the hospital.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.—One case was notified in 1947. This gives a case rate of -27 per 1,000 registered
live births.
A private medical practitioner attended at the confinement. Complete recovery with unimpaired vision
resulted with treatment at home.
Cases of inflammation of discharge from the eyes of infants or of cases of ophthalmia neonatorum entering
Willesden after notification elsewhere are also visited by the Health Visitors.
Teaching of Mothercraft at the Centres.
This important part of the work of each Health Centre, which had been suspended on the outbreak of war,
was recommenced on the 1st October, 1947.
THE CARE OF PREMATURE INFANTS.
The Ministry of Health issued Circular 20/44 on March 22nd, 1944, dealing with the Care of Premature
Infants.
Arrangements have been made for obtaining knowledge of all children whose weight at birth is 5|lbs. or less.
173 such children were born in Willesden in 1947, 52 at home, and 121 in hospital. The services of a paediatrician
are available if necessary. Midwives and Health Visitors give particular attention to these babies, and the services
of home helps are provided if necessary and available. A paediatrician is attached to the Maternity Hospital.
All discharges of such infants from the Willesden Maternity Hospital and Central Middlesex County Hospital are
notified forthwith to the Health Department and followed up by the Health Visitors.
In 1947, out of a total of 1)8 deaths of children under 1 year of age who were Willesden residents, 20 were
due to premature birth. In 1946, out of a total of 104, 23 were due to premature birth, in 1945, out of a total
of 129, 27 were due to premature birth, in 1944, out of a total of 114, 31 were due to premature birth, and in 1943,
out of a total of 155, 25 were due to premature birth. Taking only the deaths under 4 weeks of age, in 1947, all
were due to premature birth. In 1946, all 23 were due to premature birth. In 1945, all 27 were due to
premature birth. In 1944, 30 out of a total of 70 were due to premature birth.
CHILD LIFE PROTECTION.
At the end of 1947 there were 29 Foster Mothers and 43 Foster Children in Willesden.
There has again been a great scarcity of Foster Mothers throughout the year. Women, even when not otherwise
employed, are unwilling to undertake the care of children in these difficult times.
ADOPTION OF CHILDREN (REGULATION) ACT, 1939.
This Act came into force on June 1st, 1943. It makes it unlawful for any body of persons to make any
arrangements for the adoption of a child unless that body is a registered adoption society or a local authority.
Adoption Societies have to be registered by the Councils of Counties or County Boroughs, and on September 8th,
1943, the Secretary of State issued the Adoption Societies Regulations, 1943, made under Section 4 of the Act. In
carrying out the obligations placed upon them Adoption Societies make considerable demands on the services of
Local Authorities' Officers.
Section 7 of the Act is the section with which Willesden as the Welfare Authority is concerned. This section
makes it the duty of any person, other than the child's parents or guardian or the person with whom the child is placed,
who participates in the arrangements for the placing of the child, to notify in writing the Welfare Authority of the
area in which the child is to be placed. It is illegal for the adopter or any other person concerned to give or receive
any remuneration or reward. It is the duty of child protection visitors to visit and examine such children and the
premises in which they are kept and further to seek out any children in respect of whom a notice should have been
given. A child may be removed from the person with whom it is placed on the same grounds as a foster child. The
provisions of Section 7 do not apply if the other person participating is a registered Adoption Society or a Local
Authority or when the child is legally adopted or reaches 9 years of age. There are certain other exceptions.
If a child is placed in the care and possession of another person by its parents without any other person in any
way participating in the making of the arrangements it does not come within the provisions of Section 7 of the Act,
and the Health Visitor can then only exercise such supervision as is possible without compulsory power in the course
of her maternity and child welfare work.
15 persons gave notice under Section 7 (3) in 1947 in respect of 18 children. There were 4 children under
supervision at the end of the year.