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

Kensington 1927

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington]

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Table: The work done at the Infant Welfare Centres during the year 1927 is shown in the following table:—

The work done at the Infant Welfare Centres during the year 1927 is shown in the following table:—

Particulars of Work done.Archer Street.Bramley Road with Kenley Street Branch.Camp-den Hill.Earl's Court.Gol-borne.Lancaster Road.Raymede.Totals
1—No. of births occurring in the area of the Centre suitable for Welfare attention1385951272322773592581986
2—No. of sessions at which doctor attended for infant consultations952029010098132135852
3—No. of sessions at which doctor attended for special ante-natal consultations23301111142234145
4—Total number of individual mothers who attended during the year3976211151075096935122954
5—Number of individual mothers who attended ante-natal sessions during the year50923487568161461
6—Total number of individual children who attended during the year (Old)196395981813703862971923
,, ,, ,,(New)230421911853053532311816
7—Total attendances at Centre of mothers for all purposes. (Excluding the accompanying of children and for the purpose of buying dried milk or other article)8032366628228822174663376116726
8—Total attendances at Centre of children for all purposes349272582952452262768114830740721
9—Total attendances at dinners (Included in Nos. 7 and 8 above)—
1. Mothers————7302498—3228
2. Children—————1806—1806
10 —Total attendances at doctors' consultations—
1. Ante-natal mothers147266721721172451621381
2. Post-natal mothers183394455466513204002939
3. Children286455481914371934693785404325342
11--Average attendances at doctors' consultations—
1. Ante-natal mothers613615811564
2. Post-natal mothers21—562319
3. Children30272137352829207
12—Number of individual children weighed during the year4268131883526757395183711
13—Total weighings342969821855433758126238745536108
14—Number of first visits paid by salaried workers to—
1. Expectant mothers327012129582123426
2. Children173112317———188
15—Total number of home visits paid by salaried workers to—
1. Expectant mothers9613532552531662921029
2. Children16261311737201242981604250514093
16—Number of home visits paid to children by voluntary workers —
1. First visits————————
2. Total visits—123—92———215

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One interesting observation on the above table is in regard to the number of children seen at
each doctor's consultation. It is generally recognised that a doctor cannot satisfactorily deal
with more than 26 to 30 children at one session and it will be seen in item No. 11 that the average
numbers dealt with varied from 21 to 37.
General Observations on the Work of the Infant Welfare Centres.
Infant Consultation Sessions are held by medical officers in all Centres in the afternoons from
2 to 4 p.m. At the Lancaster Road Centre there is a session held on Thursday mornings from
10 a.m. to 12 noon. At four Centres there are two sessions per week; at Raymede and Lancaster
Road Centres three sessions per week; and at Bramley Road there are three in addition to the
weekly session at the Branch in Kenley Street. The Centres are in every case fortunate in having
very able and keen medical officers who show considerable interest in their work.
Ante-Natal Clinics.—Special ante-natal clinics are held at every Centre, and during the
past year 145 sessions were held.