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The Ministry of Health's definition of a premature birth is one when
the infant at birth weighs 5½ lbs or less.
It will be seen that the 1,780 non-premature live births produced 29
neo-natal deaths and the 103 premature live births produced 13 neo-natal deaths.
In addition 60% of still births are associated with prematurity.
CONGENITAL ABNORMALITIES AND INFANTS "AT RISK"
It is a responsibility of the Medical Officer of Health to submit a
confidential report in standard form to the Registrar General on congenital
abnormalities detected at or shortly after birth.
Between 1st January and 31st March, 1965 eleven congenital abnormalities
were discovered and reported and between 1st April, 1965 and 31st December 1965
twenty-four were discovered and reported. Of the thirty-five congenital
abnormalities reported during the calendar year, eleven were of a comparatively
minor nature and twenty-four were more serious defects. One of the thirty-five
infants concerned was still-born and of the thirty-four infants bom alive,
five died within ten days of birth. During the period 1st April - 31st December
1965, births at which congenital abnormalities were detected represented
1,3% of the total live and still births.
A standard form of birth notification is used in the area which
provides for the notification of congenital abnormalities and factors calculated
to put the infant "at risk" when these are detected at birth. Similarly,
reports submitted by hospital maternity units and domiciliary midwives on
patients discharged from their care after confinement are in standard form
providing for the easy recording of congenital abnormalities and 'at risk' factors.
Those infants who are designated 'at risk' of developing handicap
through some factor in the ante-natal or peri-natal period are specially noted
and followed up by medical officers and health visitors until the presence or
absence of defect is established.
THE WORK OF CHILD WELFARE CENTRES
The work of child welfare centres consists of supervision of the normal
development of young children; early detection of abnormalities of development;
provision of facilities for immunisation and vaccination against infectious
disease; giving advice concerning the feeding and management of children and
concerning the measures necessary for the promotion of family health. The nature
and content of this work has changed very considerably since its inception.
The emphasis is now directed away from the detection and treatment of the gross
defects found in former years towards the more subtle problems of developmental
abnormality and family relationships. Advice concerning behaviour problems now
forms a very considerable part of the work carried out by medical officers
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