[Report 1960] / Medical Officer of Health and School Medical Officer of Health, Southport County Borough.

  • Southport (England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1960
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1960] / Medical Officer of Health and School Medical Officer of Health, Southport County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    10/112 (page 8)
    ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH AND PRINCIPAL SCHOOL MEDICAL OFFICER FOR THE YEAR 1960 TO THE MAYOR, ALDERMEN AND COUNCILLORS OF THE COUNTY BOROUGH OF SOUTHPORT Your Worship, Ladies and Gentlemen, I have the honour to present my report for the year 1960. In general, I am able to repeat what I said last year, that the health of the people of the town as measured by the statistics required by law has been good. It was, how¬ ever, disturbing to find that the infant mortality rate, i.e. the number of babies per 1,00( live births who died in the first year of life, was 33*61 as compared with a figure of 20 • 3 in the previous year. The national average figure was 21*7. On occasions like this i is my duty to examine the facilities available in the Maternity and Child Welfare Servicei, in order to determine so far as is possible why these deaths occurred and whether any o: them could have been prevented. Broadly speaking the two main group causes were (1) premature birth and (2) congenital abnormality. There was a particularly large number of babies born alive but having such severe malformation that life was only possible for a short time in spite of the facilities for care and treatment which are available It may be that in this latter group the mother suflTered from a virus infection such x german measles or influenza early in pregnancy but if this were so, little in the way o: prevention was possible. In my view it will always be the case that some babies art born with physical and mental abnormalities of this kind, at least until medical knowledge is more advanced than it is today: fortunately modern equipment and treatment can sav( the lives of a larger number of premature and congenitally malformed children than waj the case in the past and many are enabled to grow up as normal: some however, live, bu are permanently physically or mentally affected and this group, an increasing one, wil require much help in the future from the medical and educational services. There was a substantial increase in the number of babies born in the town: 107] as compared with 1031 in 1959 and the total deaths also increased from 1376 to 1431 Other factors than these affect the population of the town but they do indicate the genera trend and this tendency of the population to fall should be born in mind by those wht have to govern the town’s affairs. It is now well known that the proportion of peoph in Southport over pensionable age is high in relation to other parts of the country anc is now in the region of 20% of the population. Fortunately many of these persons an vigorous, healthy and no burden to their fellows: this, however, is not always so and h reflected in the steadly increasing demand on the Home Nursing and Home Help Services It seems to me that if a means could be found to attract and keep young families in the town, benefit would accrue to the whole community.