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MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE
Report by Dr. Helen Campbell, M.B., Ch.B., D.P.H.,
Senior Medical Officer for Maternity and Child Welfare
In the early months of the year West Ham was still being
subjected to enemy air activity, so that the routine work was
interrupted frequently, especially in regard to health visiting.
With the cessation of hostilities, it became easier to re-organise
the work, but the problem of rehousing the people bombed out
or returning from evacuation, made it difficult for individual
health visitors to contact all mothers with young children in
their districts. New temporary colonies were established in
some areas with a large child population. Other areas previously
built up are scheduled for use for other purposes, so that a
re-allocation of the area became necessary to ensure that each
health visitor had approximately an equal number of children
on her books for whom she was responsible.
In 1945 there were 19 health visitors employed by the
Council, of whom 18 gave full-time service to maternity and
child welfare work, the remaining health visitor giving approximately
one-third of her time to work in connection with the
Venereal Diseases Scheme. Seven health visitors were employed
by voluntary organisations working in this area, whose duties
were concerned chiefly with clinic work.
The total number of visits paid during 1945 by all health
visitors was:—
(1) To expectant mothers 5,937
(2) To children under one year 11,283
(3) To children between 1 and 5 years 19,216
In addition to these visits the health visitors investigated
cases of puerperal pyrexia, ophthalmia neonatorum, stillbirths,
maternal deaths, and deaths of children under five years. They
also visited the homes of all cases of notified infectious diseases
to advise regarding care of the patient, if at home, and supervision
of the contacts. The home-help scheme was administered
by this department, the circumstances being investigated and
all arrangements being approved by the health visitor in respect
of cases on their own districts. These several schemes involved
considerable additional visits, so that in 1945 the health visitors
paid 10,484 special visits in addition to the routine maternity
and child welfare visits.
Health visiting in West Ham, as in many areas, especially
in London, is difficult and up-hill work at present, chiefly due
to the bad housing conditions with gross overcrowding.
Problems have arisen during and since the war completely
different from those of the pre-war period, but the health visitors
have tackled their work with energy and enthusiasm, and again
I wish to record my appreciation of their constant help.
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