[Report 1944] / Medical Officer of Health, Brighouse Borough.

  • Brighouse (England). Council. nb2008024084.
Date:
1944
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1944] / Medical Officer of Health, Brighouse Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    8/54 (page 6)
    rO THE MAYOR, ALDERMEN AND COUNCILLORS OF THE BOROUGH OF BRIGHOUSE. Mr. Mayor, Mrs. Tattersall and Gentlemen, I have the honour to submit to you the annual report relating to the health of the Borough of Brighouse and the work of the Health Department during 1944. Vital statistics show in one respect an improved trend with an increased birth-rate, the highest since 1921, and a decreased death-rate. There have been 504 live births, as against 403 deaths. Illegitimacy has not augmented the birth-rate so much as in 1943, when there were twice as many illegitimate births compared with 1944. The death-rate in infants under one year of age, unfortun- ately, minimises to some extent this balance of births over deaths. Of the 29 children who died within the first year of life, 19 were neo-natal deaths, that is within the first month of life- Pre- maturity—or prematurity associated with congenital deformity— accounted for 10 of these deaths. There has, fortunately, been a decrease in the cancer death- rate, the rate per 1,000 of the population being 1.87, compared with 2.7 in 1943. The death-rate from Tuberculosis is practically the same as last year, but during the year fewer new cases of this disease were notified than in 1943. The attendances at the ante-natal and infant welfare centres have been satisfactory ; the number of new expectant mothers, children attending for the first time and the total attendances of mothers and children all showing an increase over last year. The post-natal attendances have again been small, but it is felt that while one would like to see a full attendance for routine post-natal examination, those who particularly wish advice do attend. Many mothers, too, are given advice on their own health when they make their first attendances at the centres with their new babies. The three war-time day nurseries have continued to function, although there have been staffing difficulties both on the nursing and domestic side. There is no doubt that the mothers appreciate the care given to their children attending these nurseries. The two nursery students trained at Wellholme Park obtained the Diploma of the National Society of Children’s Nurseries. Regarding infectious disease, I have to report that in addi- tion to deaths from pneumonia and tuberculosis, two children died from diphtheria, two infants from whooping cough, and one infant