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
Walthamstow 1940
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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HOME VISITS
| To Children under 1 year of age | To Children 1-5 years of age | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Subsequent Total | |||||
| Municipnl Scheme | 1372 | 3038 | 4410 | 5947 | 10357 |
| Brockscroft . | 438 | 1126 | 1564 | 1861 | 3425 |
| Totals 1940 | 1810 | 4164 | 5974 | 7808 | 13782 |
| Totals 1939 | 1973 | 4859 ..... | 3837 | 7731 | 14598 |
Percentage of notified live births represented
by number of children under 1 year of age
who attended the Centres for the 1940 98.3
first time (i.e., new cases).
Percentage of total notified births represented
by number of expectant mothers attending 1940 71.6
Ante-Natal Clinics
TREATMENT.
(a) ORTHOPAEDIC.
DEFECTS SEEM AT ORTHOPAEDIC CLINIC IN CHILDREN UNDER
FIVE YEARS OF AGE.
Anterior Poliomyelitis 1 Terticrllis 41
Rickets - Congenital Dislocation of Hip 21
(a) Genu Varum 22 Congenital Defects 51
(b) Genu Valgum 18 Miscellaneous 2
Pes Piano Valgus 14 Total 801
Spastic Paralysis 3 ... I
Talipes 11
(b) DENTAL.
The following work was done by the Education Commttee's Dental Surgeons in respect of Maternity and Child Welfare patients:-
| 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mothers | Children under 5. | Mothers | Children under 5. | Mothers | Children under 5 | |||
| Cases Treated | 210 | 130 | 184 | 92 | 87 | 105 | ||
| Attendances | 521 | 183 | 657 | 160 | 277 | 273 | ||
| Fillings | 175 | 55 | 221 | 84 | 214 | 116 | ||
| Extractions | 431 | 279 | 446 | 139 | 288 | 92 | ||
| General Anaesthetics | 180 | 96 | 171 | 73 | 107 | 62 | ||
| Scalings | 63 | - | 92 | - | 57 | |||
| Dressings | 10 | 26 | 34 | 30 | 17 | 14 | ||
| Dentures | 27 | 26 | - | 11 | - | |||
1940 has been a very disappointing Year for dental treatment
of maternity cases. The unfortunate interruption of sessions by
air raids has had a serious effect upon the attendanc: also
many mothers who were transferred to maternity homes in reception
areas, missed their dental treatment and failed to re-apply for
treatment on returning home.
Appointments were sent to 437 new cases and only 41% attended
the Clinic: not all of those received treatment. Some refused
to have treatment other than extractions, some preferred to wait
until after the birth and then did not return for treatment.
20% had partial treatment, 7% completed their treatment,
1C dentures were fitted.
The failure problem is a difficult one to remedy, the more so
because every expectant or nursing mother in need of treatment
is asked whether she is willing to be treated at the Clinic and
it is at her own express wish that the form is filled in.
It is evident that there is a great deal of apathy about dental
conditions. Sepsis was less marked in the majority of cases.
32.