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
Woolwich 1936
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Woolwich]
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33
At the end of 1935 there were 92 nurse children and 69 foster mothers on the
Council's register, and a year later the numbers were 75 and 59 respectively. It
is the custom to report on all homes where women indicate their desire to become
foster mothers and, in addition to the number of foster mothers shown above, another
12 were either temporarily without nurse children or had been noted as suitable
persons. These figures do not, however, tell the whole story, as 162 nurse children
were added to the register and 179 nurse children were removed during the year.
The following Table No. 7 shows the ages of the children under supervision on the
31st December, 1936 :—
TABLE No. 7.
| Under 1 Year. | 1 - | 2 - | 3 - | 4 - | 5 - | 6 - | 7 - | 8 - |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The number of visits paid by the Infant Life Protection Visitors was 921. The
number of visits made by the male inspector in connection with infringements and
kindred matters was 91, while the number of visits paid by the district sanitary
inspectors was 45. The number, and nature, of the various legal infringements
discovered during the year, were as follows :—
TABLE No. 8.
| Nature of Infringement. | No. |
|---|---|
| Keeping a nurse child without giving timeous notice | 12 |
| Change of address by foster mother without giving timeous notice | 2 |
| Infant removed from care of foster mother without giving timeous notice | 7 |
| Keeping nurse children in excess of permitted number | 1 |
Cautionary letters were sent in all cases. There were no prosecutions.
In nine instances insanitary conditions were discovered ; in five instances there
was overcrowding, and in one instance verminous conditions existed. In all cases
appropriate action was taken to secure the abatement of the nuisances. Nurse
children who are kept under unsatisfactory conditions may be removed to a place of
safety, but it was not necessary to take this action during the year.
All foster mothers are urged to attend the Council's welfare centres with the
children under five years of age in their charge, and it is pleasing to record, that,
with very few exceptions, those children who are under five regularly attend an
infant welfare centre. Special care is taken to see that children who are weak and
ailing attend. During the year, five nurse children died—one from pneumonia and
four from enteritis.