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 1953
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for West Ham]
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The following table shows the amount of B.C.G. vaccination undertaken to protect uninfected contacts of tuberculosis. It will be seen that there has been a steady increase In this work since it was first started in 1950:-
| Age | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-1 | 1 | 28 | 46 | 59 |
| 1-2 | - | 8 | 12 | 5 |
| 2-3 | - | 8 | 6 | 9 |
| 3 - 4 | - | 8 | 7 | 17 |
| 4 - 5 | - | 7 | 5 | 10 |
| Over 5 | - | 32 | 49 | 73 |
| TOTAL | 1 | 91 | 125 | 173 |
Liaison with Children's Officer.
Close and friendly co-operation has been maintained with the Children's Officer and
many problems relating to the care of deprived children are discussed by the staff of the two
departments.
Occasional meetings have been convened, as necessary, by the Children's Officer, The
Medical Officer of Health has taken the chair at these meetings which have been well attended
by officers of the department concerned, and by representatives of other official and
voluntary organisations.
The medical officers of the Health Department have continued to examine children
boarded out in West Ham, and with the increase in the number of family group homes maintained
by the local authority, the work Involved In the examination of the children admitted to
these homes has Increased.
Premature Infants.
Place of Birth and Deaths under 1 month: 1953.
| Number of Infants | Number died within 24 hours | Number died within 28 days | Number survived 28 days | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born & nursed at home | 24 | - | - | 24 |
| Born & nursed in hospital | 179 | 14 | 16 | 149 |
| Born at home & transferred to hospital | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| TOTAL: | 212 | 15 | 18 | 179 |
Out of a total of 82 deaths of infants under 1 year, whose place of residence is in
West Ham, 33 occurred in premature infants who died within the first month of life (as shown
in the above table). Seven of the latter were associated with congenital abnormalities.
32