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 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for West Ham]
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There were 127 admissions to Day Nurseries during 1955. All children accepted for
admission come within the priorities defined by the Council as follows:-
First Priority:
| Parents separated | 16 | children | ||
| Mother unmarried | 9 | |||
| Mother widowed | 8 | |||
| Father in prison | 6 | |||
| Father in H.M.Forces | 5 | |||
| Children deserted by father | 4 | " | ||
| Children deserted by mother | 2 | " | ||
| Parents divorced | 2 | " | ||
| Health of child | 1 | child | ||
| TOTALS | 53 | |||
| Second Priority: (Financial grounds etc.) | 55 | |||
| Temporary admissions | 19 | |||
| TOTAL: | 127 | |||
The following is an analysis of the temporary admissions and the average number of days the children spent in the Nurseries.
| Mother's Confinement in Hospital | 15 days | |
| Mother in Hospital for treatment | 7 " | |
| Mother in Hospital for Investigation | 2 " " " | |
| Mother in Mental Hospital | 2 " " " | 28 " |
| Mother in Hospital prior to confinement | 1 " " " | |
| Both parents ill | 1 " " " | 4 " |
On 31st December 1955, there were 76 children on the Day Nursery Registers. One
of these was under 6 months of age, 2 were between 6 months and 1 year, 15 were between 1
and 2 years and 58 were between 2 and 5 years. The length of stay of these children in
the Day Nurseries is as follows:-
4-5 years 1 child
3-4 years 1 child
2-3 years 7 children
1-2 years 20 children
Under 1 year 47 children
TOTALS 76
It can thus be seen that the Council's two day nurseries are fulfilling a real social
need, and in some cases they are providing an alternative to residential care and so
preventing the break-up of the family. Of the large group admitted on financial grounds
(whose income is within the level accepted for 2nd priority) a considerable number are seeking
to increase the family Income in order to buy a house or to furnish recently acquired accommodation.
During the year there were 16 cases of Gastro Enteritis, 39 Measles, 5 mumps, and 3
Influenza amongst the children at the two nurseries. The Gastro Enteritis cases were all
mild, and in the main occurred individually throughout the year. All bacteriological
investigations were negative, so that it was not possible to trace either the source or
the method of spread. There was no evidence to suggest that the children were Infected
in the Nursery. The cases of measles were distributed almost equally between the two
Nurseries and occurred at a time when this illness was prevalent in the Borough.
52