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
Harrow 1942
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Harrow]
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33
INFANT WELFARE SERVICES.
HOME VISITING BY THE HEALTH VISITORS.
The following table shows the number of visits paid by the health visitors during the year:
| (a) To expectant mothers | First visits 1,160 |
| Total visits 1,648 | |
| (b) To children under one year of age | First visits 2,921 |
| Total visits 7,725 | |
| (c) To children between the ages of one and five years | Total visits 14,815 |
In addition visits were paid to 284 cases of measles and 112 cases
of whooping cough in children under 5 years of age.
INFANT WELFARE CENTRES.
The following table shows the work done at the Infant Welfare Centres during the year:
| Total attendances at all Centres: | |
| (1) By children under one year of age | 43,818 |
| (2) By children between the ages of one and five years | 20,161 |
| Total number of children who first attended at the Centres during the year and who on the date of their first attendance were: | |
| (1) Under one year of age | 2,807 |
| (2) Between the ages of one and five years | 481 |
| Total number of children under five years of age who attended at the Centres during the year and who at the end of the year were: | |
| (1) Under one year of age | 2,489 |
| (2) Over one year of age | 6,516 |
Attendances: The average weekly attendances at the infant welfare
centres for 1912 was 1,296, a figure almost identical with that of 1,295
in the previous year. This was the average of a range from the figure
of 983 in January to one of 1,479 in September and is well below the
pre-war attendances which, in the summer of 1939 reached an average
of nearly 1,900.
Vitamin Preparations: From January, 1942, arrangements had
been made for the issue from most of the clinics of the free supply of
vitamin preparations to children under two years of age. In February
the age for free issue of Cod Liver Oil was raised to five years. From
April 1st, while the ages of the children entitled to the issues remained
the same, a charge was made to those above a certain income limit.
In July the age of children entitled to fruit juices was raised to three
years. In December expectant mothers were entitled to the issue so
that from that date children under five and expectant mothers in the
last six months of pregnancy were entitled to the issue free or at a charge
of Cod Liver Oil and of fruit juices.