[Report 1958] / Medical Officer of Health, Derbyshire County Council.

  • Derbyshire (England). County Council.
Date:
1958
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1958] / Medical Officer of Health, Derbyshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    47/142 (page 45)
    Chesterfield Borough only. Mrs. S. M. Street, Day—Chesterfield 3232 Extn. 256. Night—Ashover 284. Supervisor of Midwives, Town Hall, Chesterfield. Supply of Extra Vitamins, etc. The County Council has for many years supplied certain pro- prietory preparations at Infant Welfare Centres and Ante-Natal clinics at cost price. At Ante-Natal Clinics simple preparations of iron in tablet form (Tabs. Ferri. Sulphatis Co.) and also of calcium with vitamins (Tab. Calciferol Co.) are prescribed by the Clinic Medical Officers in suitable cases. The list of preparations sold at Infant Welfare Centres which was published in my Annual Report for 1955 was re-considered at a meeting of the Department’s Medical Officers held at Clowne Clinic in October, 1956, when particular attention was given to the possibility that excessive Vitamin D may be responsible for otherwise unexplained illness in babies. It is now thought that hypercalcaemia may be related to the excessive intake of Vitamin D. Some dried milks as well as some cereals are fortified, and if a baby takes Cod Liver Oil he may well be receiving something like 2,000 international units instead of the originally recommended 600 to 700. There are children who appear to be sensitive to Vitamin D and react unfavourably to this increased dosage. As a result of the discussions between the Medical Staff it was agreed that Cod Liver Oil Emulsion be deleted from the approved list and that Lactogal be added. The revised list is now as follows :— Virol. Maltoline with Iron. Colact. Rose Hip Syrup. Adexolin in Liquid Form. Lactogal. WELFARE FOODS SERVICE The decline in the sales of National Dried Milk which had been noticed in 1957 continued to some extent during 1958, issues having fallen by about 16% at the end of the year. This falling off was confined to ‘paid’ issues, those against ‘free’ coupons being slightly higher in December, 1957 than in January, 1958. After making allowances for seasonal fluctuations, the uptake of Cod Liver Oil, Vitamin A & D tablets and Orange Juice remained at approximately the same level. There was no change in the price of either National Dried Milk or Orange Juice, the charges remaining at 2/4d. per tin and 5d. per botde respectively. The following figures show the issues of all Welfare Foods in the County area during the year :—