Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Heston and Isleworth]
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Public Health Department,
92 Bath Road,
HOUNSLOW.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Borough of Heston and Isleworth.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I beg to submit my Annual Report for the year 1945. A
report has been submitted on the School Medical Service and continuing
the practice of recent years this Report consists largely of a
tabulated summary.
The upward trend of the birth rate has not been maintained:
15.5 per 1,000 population as compared with 16.5 in 1944, 16.3 in 1943
and 14.6 in 1942. The number of illegitimate births was 111 as
compared with 85 in 1944, 90 in 1943 end 59 in 1942. Special attention
continues to be given to the care of unmarried mothers and illegitimate
children and efforts are made to contact the mother as early in
pregnancy as possible. Hospital almoners and moral welfare workers
co-operate in this matter. Contact was made in 67 cases and the final
arrangements were as follows :-
Mother and child living with father of the child 11
Child living with grandparents 24
Child living with other relatives 2
Mother and child left the Borough 8
Child placed with foster-mother 1
Child placed for adoption 16
Child placed in residential nursery 1
Child in care of daily guardian while mother at work 1
Child died in hospital 3
In conjunction with the Middlesex County Council arrangements have been
made to provide pre-natal and post-natal residential accommodation.
During the year no mothers were admitted before confinement. Three
mothers and children were admitted after the confinement.
During 1945 Health Visitors made visits of enquiry or
supervision as under in connection with children placed for adoption :-
Visits in connection with notification of children placed
for adoption and to provide reports for use of the
Court 155
Visits at request of adoption societies or others 43
Post-adoption visits at request of adoption societies or others
The death rate per 1,000 population (civilian) was 9.7 as
compared with 10.3 in 1944, 10.6 in 1943 and 10.2 in 1942. The
percentage age distribution of deaths is shown below:-
1910-14 1940-44 1945
Under lyear 21.8 7.8 8.2
1-4 years 8.4 1.4 0.8
5-14 years 3.8 1.8 0.6
15 - 24 years 3.7 2.8 2.7
25 - 64 years 30.8 35.2 34.1
65 years and over 31.5 51.0 53.6
The chief causes of death were heart disease (240), cancer (162).
cerebral haemorrhage (72), bronchitis (50) and pneumonia (47).
1.