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 1945
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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56
thamstow Girls' Aid Association, which provides a Hostel of 19 beds
staffed by three whole-time workers.
The Superintendent of the Association reported that the chief
difficulties during 1945 were to secure accommodation for confinements
and suitable foster mothers. Although the local Day
Nurseries helped very considerably there was a need for a residential
nursery in the County area. Every possible step has, as in previous
years, been taken to ensure that the care of illegitimate children
does not fall below that given to children who are legitimate. The
figures quoted below give a comparison between illegitimate and
legitimate rates.
Illegitimate Births and Mortality.
| Year. | Live Births. | Infantile Deaths. | Death Rates. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legitimate. | Illegitimate. | Legitimate. | Illegitimate. | Legitimate. | Illegitimate. | |
| 1935 | 1,626 | 44 | 60 | 2 | 37.0 | 45.0 |
| 1936 | 1,684 | 31 | 69 | 3 | 41.0 | 97.0 |
| 1937 | 1,634 | 41 | 87 | — | 53.0 | — |
| 1938 | 1,572 | 45 | 63 | 3 | 40.0 | 66.0 |
| 1939 | 1,566 | 40 | 45 | - | 29.0 | — |
| 1940 | 1,535 | 40 | 56 | 4 | 41.0 | 100.0 |
| 1941 | 1,254 | 50 | 50 | 2 | 40.0 | 40.0 |
| 1942 | 1,662 | 56 | 67 | 3 | 40.0 | 53.0 |
| 1943 | 1,767 | 61 | 71 | 2 | 40.0 | 32.0 |
| 1944 | 1,825 | 90 | 68 | 3 | 37.0 | 33.0 |
| Average | ||||||
| 1935-1944 | 1,612 | 49.8 | 63.6 | 2.2 | 39.8 | 46.6 |
| 1945 | 1,614 | 99 | 61 | 5 | 37.0 | 50.0 |
Only too often the illegitimate infant mortality is two or three
times that of the legitimate rate. In Walthamstow during the
past 11 years the illegitimate rate has been nil in 2 years and the
same or below the legitimate rate in three other years, in spite of
the considerable increase in the total number of illegitimate births
since 1940 and the very large increase in 1944 and 1945.
Miss Williams, Superintendent of the Home provided by the
Walthamstow Branch of the Chelmsford Diocesan Moral Welfare
Association reports as follows:—
"The numbers given below include cases dealt with outside:—
1. Total number of cases dealt with 114
2. Number of those living in Walthamstow 38
3. Number of cases referred from Stratford 4
Expectant mothers are taken in at any time during pregnancy
and employment is obtained for them until about six weeks before