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
Shoreditch 1936
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]
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98
INFANT WELFARE CENTRES.
In the Borough of Shoreditch there are 18 infant welfare clinics. Seven clinics
are held at the Model Welfare Centre, 210, Kingsland Road, and the others are held
at Hoxton Market Mission (two), Hoxton Hall (three), St. Helen's (two), Haggerston
Road (one), Harbour Lights (one) and Herbert Street (two).
The total first attendances of infants during 1936 was 964, as compared with
1,048 in 1935. The figure for the total attendances was 15,961 as compared with
16,406 in 1935. The first attendances of children was 299 against 277 in 1935.
The total attendances of children between one and five years was 16,197, against
18,024 for 1935. The average number of attendances per infant in 1936 was 16.6
and the corresponding figure for 1935 was 15.6. Practically all the children were
seen by a doctor on at least one occasion.
The number of first examinations of infants was 959 (99.5 per cent.) of the total
infants who attended on at least one occasion. The corresponding figure for children
between one and five years was 288, which represents 96.3 per cent. of the total
children at these ages who were examined on at least one occasion by one of the
assistant medical officers for maternity and child welfare.
The work of the clinics proceeded as usual during the year and no detailed
comments on their functions are called for. The total number of children who
attended at the centres during the year, who at the end of the year were under
one year of age, was 912, and the corresponding number between one and five years
was 2,571; hence the total number of children under five years of age who were on
the registers at the end of the year was 3,483. Of this total 645 were referred to
hospital by clinic doctors during the year. This represents 18.5 per cent. of the total
infants and children on the register and is a fairly high figure.
SPECIAL CLINICS.
Artificial Sunlight Clinic.
This clinic is equipped with two mercury vapour lamps. Additional sessions
were commenced in June, 1934, on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, so that sessions
are now held on six half-days each week.
Particulars of those referred to the clinic during the last seven years are shown in the following table:—
| 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of children | 244 | 269 | 257 | 214 | 262 | 260 | 427 |
| Number of mothers | — | — | — | — | 21 | 44 | 45 |
| Total attendances of children | 4,095 | 4,973 | 5,552 | 5,655 | 5,654 | 5,813 | 6,599 |
| „ „ mothers | — | — | — | — | 284 | 462 | 498 |
| Average number of visits per— | |||||||
| Child | 17 | 18.5 | 21.6 | 26.4 | 21.6 | 22.4 | 15.5 |
| Mother | — | — | — | — | 13.7 | 10.5 | 11.1 |
| Average number of attendances per session— | |||||||
| Children | 20 | 24.5 | 27 | 27.9 | 23.9 | 19.4 | 21.3 |
| Mothers | — | - | - | - | 5.5 | 4.7 | 4.8 |