View report page

The infant mortality rate of 29.1 was the lowest ever recorded in the Borough. The
fall was from 38.8 in 1947, and it is noteworthy that, except for a slight increase in 1947,
the infant mortality rate in Southall has declined continuously since 1939.
The number of deaths from tuberculosis was 22 compared with 30 in the previous
year, although the number of notifications of new patients suffering from this disease
increased from 105 in 1947 to 127 in 1948. An increase in the number of cases notified,
combined with a reduction in the number of deaths from this disease, may be partly due
to the attendances of large numbers of the population for X-ray by the Mass Radiography
Unit, and is a hopeful sign that this disease, which has been increasing in its evil effects
during the last few years, is at last becoming recognised more often in the early stages when
the possibility of a fatal result from the infection can more easily be averted.
The clinics and treatment centres provided by the Borough Council were all working
satisfactorily, and good attendances were maintained during the period ; figures for
attendances at Ante-natal and Infant Welfare Clinics show a slight increase for the half-year.
The services of the local midwives were used to about the same extent as during 1947.
Because of the shortage of hospital beds, and by arrangement with the Health Department,
normal cases confined in hospital were sent home on the 4th day to the care of the Council's
midwives to alleviate the congestion in hospitals, and this extra work is not recorded in the
figures of bookings or the table of completed cases, but represents many hours of visiting
and care.
During the period the services in connection with school medical inspection and
treatment were controlled through the Health Department by agreement between Southall
Borough Council and Middlesex County Council.
During the first part of 1948 there was a very high number of measles notifications,
and the type of illness was more severe than it had been for the previous few years. Several
cases developed pneumonia and one death occurred.
The use of the Ambulance Service, giving free conveyance to Southall ratepayers
suffering from illness or accident, continued to increase.
The demand for places in the three Day Nurseries maintained by the Council continued
heavy and increasing, both for the children of working mothers and for children whose
parents were in temporary difficulty such as the admission of the mother for a short period
into hospital for operation or for confinement. Arrangements were also made by the
Council for children to obtain places in certain of the County Council residential nurseries
for temporary periods during similar emergencies.
An increase in the use of the facilities for the immunisation of young children and
children of school age against diphtheria and whooping cough was marked during the
period, the total attendances for 6 months being 2,105 as compared with 2,246 for the full
year 1947. Continued propaganda by word of mouth, and by poster and cinema publicity,
must have had its effect in producing this satisfactory state of affairs.
The Clinics for Artificial Sun Treatment were maintained, and there is no doubt that
beneficial results were obtained by many of the children and expectant and nursing mothers
who were given treatment by this method. The use of the County Council Clinics for the
purpose of ophthalmic, orthopaedic and dental treatment of mothers and young children
was continued, and valuable work was done especially in the conservation of the milk teeth
of children under 5 years of age. The value of this treatment is very great indeed. Not
only is the foundation of the structure of the permanent teeth kept secure from decay, but
the fact that the teeth are retained in position until the permanent teeth are ready to erupt
secures that a good shape of the arch of the mouth is retained, with subsequent benefit,
not only to the appearance of the child, but in the prevention of nasal deformity and
adenoids leading to chest diseases due to poor respiration.
The members of the Voluntary Workers' Association of the Borough have given much
of their time and energy, during the past 25 years, to assistance in the work of the Maternity
and Child Welfare Service, and I should like to extend the thanks of the Health Department
4