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

Tottenham 1961

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Tottenham]

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50
Another group, the Cypriots, also seeks help eagerly and accept advice from doctors
and health visitors. These are more difficult to help because of the language barrier
though because of this many of them do not work and are able to be full-time mothers
and housewives. It is not uncommon for Cypriot wives to be unable to speak English
even after many years in this country. Such families form their own little communities
and when the young children reach school age they become an education problem.

Table: The number of children attending centres is given below:-

The number of children attending centres is given below:-

Name of CentreNumber of sessions heldNumber of first attendances under 1 yearNumber of attendancesTotal attendancesNumber of cases seen by M. 0.Average attendance per- session
Under 1 yearOver 1 but under 2Over 2 but under 5
Burgoyne Road15235353626461496157168740.5
Church Road20926135845661004250143720.3
Fortis Green18537850566272195902206431.9
Hornsey Town Hall205597596210032607225275335.2
Mildura Court1042583391532453968137338.1
Stroud Green10227031163331613610145035.4
The Chestnuts20361262287002237351212936.2
Lordship Lane25645860259442717240180728.3
Park Lane20639548637393375939176324.0
Somerset Road14835439606442814885112133.0
Totals 1961177039364754769342046565271758431.9
Totals 1960172937824523074891879545981785331. 6
Totals 1959174934604662582721808567051807532.4

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Toddlers Clinics
A much smaller proportion of mothers take their children to toddler clinics than
to infant welfare clinics. If a special effort was not made to remind them and to
specially appoint them the numbers would be even less and yet experience has shown how
extremely important this age is in the physical, emotional and social development of
the child. The staff at these sessions are convinced of the value of routine
inspection at this age and find it clinically rewarding. So many abnormalities, such
as speech defects, visual defects, behaviour disorders, mild spasticity, can be
detected and improved before undesirable habits become established. Parents of these
children fully appreciate the work that staff and voluntary workers put in at the
clinics to make the room attractive with toys and posters particularly at Christmas
time.