[Report 1946] / School Medical Officer of Health, Wakefield City.

  • Wakefield (England). City Council.
Date:
1946
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1946] / School Medical Officer of Health, Wakefield City. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    It will be seen from the body of the Report that it was possible to include the intermediate age-group of school children amongst those examined by Medical Officers. It will be remembered that during the previous year, the School Nurses dealt entirely with that section of the school population. The total number of routine inspections was 2,203 which was a welcome increase on the very low figure of 643 in 1945. The number of routine inspections included 498 in the intermediate age-group and lam very glad that this important category of child could be dealt with to this extent. The health of the school children in general was good throughout the year. The average height was well maintained and showed a slight increase in several groups representing both girls and boys. The increase varied from one-quarter to one- half of an inch and this was considered satisfactory. The average weight was perhaps less well maintained. The boys in the 5-6 years age group showed an average increase of loz. and in the 13-14 years age group an average increase of 5ozs. The girls, both in the entrants and leavers groups, showed an average increase of only loz. Six age groups of children showed an actual decrease, varying from 3 to 8 ozs., the highest deficiency being in the boys and girls in the leavers age gioup, the former showing an average loss of 6 ozs. and the latter an average loss of 8ozs. The clothing and footwear of the children were satisfactory, having regard to the continued difficulties of supply. There were 4 children noted as being badly clothed and in 5 cases the * footwear was very unsatisfactory. No case of bad malnutrition was noted, but there was an increase in the number of children with slightly sub-normal nutrition namely 9.12 per cent compared with 8.71 per cent during the previous year. Cleanliness of the hair had improved in both girls and boys, but there was a small increase in the number of children with dirty bodies,—perhaps the relative privation of soap played some part in this. For the same reason the School Nurses found that the clothing of the children was less clean than in the previous year. The work of the School Dental Officer continues on the same satisfactory standard and, as year succeeds year, he is able to report progressive improvement in the state of the teeth of school children. The actual percentage of children with good teeth was higher than in 1945 as recorded at the routine medical inspections, but the School Dental Office reports that there