[Report 1947] / Medical Officer of Health, Dorking U.D.C.
- Dorking (England). Urban District Council.
- Date:
- 1947
Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: [Report 1947] / Medical Officer of Health, Dorking U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.
12/45 page 9
![INFANT MORTALITY Death of children under one year of age numbered eleven; this i1 includes nine males and tv\o females. The infant mortality rate ii lie year is 28.7 per 1,000 live births compared with a rate of 41 for I and and Wales. Eight of the deaths occurred within twenty-eight 1 of birth, and four of these within one day. In five deaths the cause i. attributed directly or indirectly to prematurity. Of the remainder, V deaths were due to congenital malformation, two to broncho- : imonia, one to birth injury and one to gastro-enteritis. Reference to Table II will show that a low infant mortality rate 1 oeen a feature of the vital statistics of this district for many 3^ears, 1 gh some deterioration occurred in the abnormal period of 1943 and ; . The figures show the effectiveness of the various measures which : : been taken in the past forty years for the specific purpose of pre- : ing infant health and saving infant life. The pioneer efforts of I ical and social workers were supported in the first place by volun- I welfare associations; at a later date legislation gave power to ' nty Councils, County Borough Councils and certain other local .' lorities to set up a maternity and child welfare service. The activ- of many persons in many different directions have built up in the paratively short time of two generations the service as it is today, I have placed at the disposal of its staff the experience and inform- II on which the modern methods of child care are liased. Many rovements in the management of infants have lieen brought aliout, particularly in the technique of feeding, whether by breast or le. A great effort in the education of the public in these ideas has 1 made and credit is due to the medical and health visiting staff of service who have spent a considerable pro])ortion of their efforts in [eminating information of a practical nature. In considering the ons for the continued fall in the infant mortality rate recognition lid also be made of the willingness and ability of the modern mother ■ccept new ideas and to put them into practice in the home, often er great difficulties by reason of the housing shortage. i GENERAL PROVISIONS OF HEALTH SERVICES FOR THE AREA LABORATORY FACILITIES ' Specimens taken by medical jiractitioners for bacterial examination connection with the diagnosis of infectious diseases are sent to Dr. 'P. Chamberlain, Pathologist to the East vSurrey and the Dorking District Hospitals. During the year 1947 the number of examinations made was as ows : For the diagnosis of Diphtheria ... ... ... ... 15 ,, ,, ,. ,, Haemolytic Streptococcal infections 13 ,, ,, ,, ,, Tuberculosis ... ... ... 3 ,, ,, ,. ,, Enteric Fever ' ... 1 32](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b29164928_0013.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
