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 1932

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for West Ham]

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MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
Report of the Senior Assistant Medical Officer for Maternity
and Child Welfare (Dr. Helen Campbell).
Notification of Births.
The birth rate for 1932 was 17.2. There were 6,223 live
births and 192 stillbirths (total births, 6,415) officially notified in
accordance with the Notificiation of Births Act, 1907. Of this
total 5,430 births were notified by midwives, and 985 by doctors
and parents.

Table: Number of Births in the Borough in the last 5 years:—

Number of Births in the Borough in the last 5 years:—

19281929193019311932
59135766560652664980

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These figures represent the net number of births of West Ham
residents.
Health Visiting.
There has been no alteration during 1932 in the arrangements
for the visiting' of women by the Health Visitors. This
home-visiting is carried out by eighteen full-time Health Visitors
employed by the Council, and by thirty-four nurses attached to
the Plaistow Maternity Hospital. In addition, the Superintendent
Nurses of the various voluntary Infant Welfare Centres in the
Borough visit infants who attend their Centres, and about whom
the Medical Officer of the Centre requires a special report or
investigation.

Table: The routine for the visiting of infants and young children in their homes is as follows:—

The routine for the visiting of infants and young children in their homes is as follows:—

Age period.Minimum number of visits per year
0—1 years4—at intervals of 3 months
1—2 years4—at intervals of 3 months
2—5 years2—at intervals of 6 months
(or till admitted to School)

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Premature infants are visited monthly till one year old.
Weakly infants and children are visited more frequently than the
routine, the number of visits depending, naturally, on the condition
of the child. It has been possible to sub-divide the Borough
into districts of such a size that the Health Visitor
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