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Children attending Special School and in Institutions
School for the Deaf
During 1958, 3 West Ham children under 5 years attended.
West Ham Spastic Unit
On December 31st there were 2 West Ham children under 5 years of age attending.
Occupation Centre
There were 4 children of pre- school age attending; and 2 in an institution for mental
defectives.
Premature Infants
There were 178 premature infants (5i lbs. or under) born during the year; of these,
l6l were born in hospital, 12 born and nursed at home, and 5 born at home and taken to
hospital. Of the l6l born in hospital 146 were still alive after 28 days; of the 15 babies
who died, 8 died within the first 24 hours. Of the babies born and nursed at home all except
1 survived 28 days. Of the 5 born at home and taken to hospital, 3 died within 28 days. Six
point six per cent of all live births were premature (compared with 7.6% last year) - the
national figure is 6.8% Of the total births 8.4% were premature (compared with 8.5% last
year) - the national figure is 7•8%. Out of a total of 52 deaths of infants under one year,
19 (37%) occurred in premature infants who died within the first month of life.
Premature infants require extra care and attention for their survival and for satisfactory
development.
A large proportion of premature births take place in maternity units of hospitals,
where facilities are available for their care. For premature babies born in their own homes,
special equipment is provided by the Council and can be lent to households at the request of
doctor or midwife, but during 1958 there was little demand for equipment, except requests
for the loan of scales. It would be helpful if every discharge of a premature baby from
hospital were notified to the health department, preferably before the baby arrives home.
The difficulties which this presents are appreciated, but without this liaison It is
impossible to maintain continuity of care and management. Occasionally, acute problems
arise when premature babies are discharged to a home where many adverse factors have to
be overcome before the environment can be made reasonably satisfactory for the baby.
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