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

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Walthamstow 1948

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]

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67
TO THE CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE COMMITTEE
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I beg to present a report on the work done in regard to
Maternity and Child Welfare during the year 1948.
The control of these services was transferred from your
Council on July 5th and further reference to this question is made
at the beginning of this report.
The year has been noteworthy for further low records, i.e.,
one of 20 in regard to infant mortality, 11.1 in regard to deaths
of infants within one month of birth, and of 0.37 in regard to
stillbirths. These new records have been achieved on a total of
2,068 births.
In regard to the care of illegitimate children, it is of interest
to note that in four out of the last ten years the illegitimate death
rate has actually been lower than the corresponding death rate of
legitimate children. In regard to premature infants, only 4 children
died from this cause in 1948.
The high birth rate of recent years is reflected in the fact
that 1,776 new patients attended ante-natal clinics and over 63,000
attended at welfare centres.
It is gratifying to report that there was no death classified
as being due to pregnancy, childbearing, or associated therewith.
All the District Midwifery Sisters engaged in the Borough are
qualified to give Gas and Air Analgesia and a total of 124 patients
were given gas and air during the year. There still appears to be
considerable reluctance amongst patients of the older generation to
seek gas and air analgesia.
Pressure on the day nurseries continued and the total on the
waiting list at the end of the year at both nurseries was 344.
In spite of changes, the number of health visiting staff compared
with that available in other comparable areas, remains
reasonably satisfactory.
The report concludes with a summary compiled by Miss Helen
Rodway, F.R.C.O.G., on the work done at Thorpe Coombe since
its opening in 1934. I would like to take this opportunity of
emphasising the great part which Thorpe Coombe has played in
securing such consistently low infant mortality rates for the Borough
in the past. I would also draw attention to Miss Rodway's out'
standing work at Thorpe Coombe.
Ail these achievements again reflect the highest credit on the
staff concerned in the Borough with maternal and child health, and
to them and to your Committee I would wish to express my most
grateful thanks.
I am,
Your obedient Servant,
A. T. W. POWELL,
Medical Officer of Health.