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
West Ham 1925
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for West Ham]
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106
The South West Ham Health Society established an
Ante-natal Clinic at their Infant Welfare Centre, Lees Hall,
two years ago. The following is an extract from the last
annual report of this Society:—
"Our experience during these two years is that
"the health of the mother is greatly improved
"during pregnancy and that confinement is made
"easier."
This Society also holds Mother-craft classes. The percentage
of West Ham mothers who breast-feed their babies
is very big indeed and is steadily increasing (see table
below).
| Year. | No of Infants Breast Fed. | No. of Infants Breast Fed and Supplementary Feeds. | Entirely Artificially Fed. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | 3,173 | 1,047 | 510 |
| 1924 | 4,354 | 948 | 460 |
| 1925 | 4,754 | 855 | 597 |
Distribution of Milk to Nursing and Expectant Mothers
and Children under 3 years of age.
This branch of the Council's service has now been in
operation for five years, and in order to give some idea of
the steady growth of this Department during the period
under review the following particulars will, I hope, prove
interesting:—
On the 1st January, 1920, as a result of a conference
with Milk Retailers in the district an arrangement was
agreed upon for the exchange of the Council's Vouchers for
a supply of milk to expectant and nursing mothers, and
children under five years, so that during the first part of the
year liquid milk to the extent of 76,764 gallons was supplied
to such cases as fell within the Council's scheme. During
August of the same year the Council decided to substitute