[Report 1920] / Medical Officer of Health, Salop / Shropshire County Council.

  • Shropshire Council
Date:
1920
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1920] / Medical Officer of Health, Salop / Shropshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    22/62 (page 12)
    l-’erccntage of children at first visit of liealtli visitor with Breast feeding. Artificial feeding. Mixed feedi iqi8 . . .. 82.5 13-5 3.« iqiq . . . . 85.8 9-7 4-1 1920 . . 8_|.o 11.9 3-9 Of tJie rases wlicre tlie rliildreii were breast-fed oji (he first visit and tlie feeding was reeorded after three months and six months, it was found tliat 75.(j per rent, were still breast-fed after three months and 67.8 j^er rent, after six months. The figures were uot quite so satisfactory as tliose of last year. It is to the credit of the district nurses concerned that in the following districts there were no artificial!v-fed iid'ants at the first visit : Ash, Ihcton and Oxon, Chirbury, Marton and Mitldleton, Chmburv and C'lunton, Condover, Corelev, Milson, and Xeen Sollars, Cound, Hodnet and \\'eston, Hope and Slielve, .Morcton Say, J^ichards Castle, Shavington, Calverliall and Iglitfield, Stoke and Peplow, rilstock and .Vlkington, W'istanstow and Halford, \\'ortJien, W'rock- wardine ajid Eyton. In the following districts the ])ercentage of artificiallv-fcd cliildren was 25 per cent, or over. If such excess continues s])ecial ijicpiiries will be made : --lAHtaston and Coton, Montford, Shra- wardine and Great Ness, Prees, and Woore. The long-tube bottle—a most insanitar^' method of feeding, is disa])pearing, and was only found in (k) cases. Tlie use of the dummy was recordeil in 52,) cases- -probably a considerable under statement. The following insanitar^' conditions were rejiorted bv the health visitors and forwarded to the Sanitary Authorities for their attention. This is a liranch of work for which the health visitor has no special training ;— ^^'ater Supjilv. Want of Uncleanliness. Danqiness. Overcrowding. \’entilation. 12 I bo iqt) (>4 51 Malernitv and Child Welfare C'enlres. These centres are ojien once a week, excejit for hdlesmere, and Newport, which are open once a fortnight. The Health Visitors and Child Welfare Medical Officers are alwavs in attendance. (Orthopaedic Schonc. This consists (i) of a central hospital at Park 1 lall, ()swestr\’, (2) alter-care centres at Ludlow, Oakengates, Craven Arms, Oswestry, Cleobury Mortimer, Shrewsbury, Market Hrayton, V'el- lington, W'ldtchurch, V'em, Lllesmere, Ironbiidge, Shifnal, Bridgnorth, and (3) the assistance of all the health visitors in the Countv for discovery of the cases. The after-care centres are visited weekly b\- s])ecially trained nurses from the Shrojishire Surgical F-Tome and Orthopaedic Hosiiital, and the\’ are also visited b\- the senior Medical Officer of the Hospital once in two months. It is our constant endeavour to link uj) this after-care work as closelv as ])ossible with the child welfare and school work. The early discovery of the cases depends almost entirely iqion the health visitor as regards children under fi\’e, and largelv on the School Mc'ilical Officers as reganb school children. Where possible (In' Orlhoj-yaedic .\fler-Care Centre is lu'ld on the same jU'emises and the same day as the Child W'elfai'e Cvnt re oi'School Clinic. By this means the Child Wellare and School .Medical Officers, and the Health Visitors should keep in close touch with this work. Nuisances. 5«