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

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Kingston upon Thames 1965

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kingston-upon-Thames]

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37
D. Babies showing the following difficulties or defects
during the post-natal period:
27. Difficulties in sucking and swallowing.
28. Convulsions.
29. Cerebral palsy.
30. Meningitis or Encephalitis.
31. Any serious illness or infection in first
few months of life.
Children remain on this register until the age of five
years when the information is transferred to the school health
records.
The total number of children on this register at 31st
December 1965 was 2,208.
Hitherto the number of babies born "At risk" have been
given statistically at about 20% of the infant population, but of
the 2,366 children born alive in the borough during 1965, 1,092
were added to the "at risk" register, a percentage of 46.5.
Many of these develop normally and can be taken off the register
when it is sure they are within the normal range.
In addition the register is used to indicate children in
the 0-5 age group who are likely to require special educational
facilities. This also forms a basis for co-ordination between the
mental health section and the other sections and departments
concerned with the welfare and observation of pre-school children.
Congenital Malformations
42 babies were notified at birth as congenitally malformed.
Of these, 5 were stillborn and 7 subsequently died, 6 of the deaths
being a direct result of the abnormality notified. 30 babies had
survived at the end of 1965. Details were as over.