[Report 1957] / School Medical Officer of Health, Oldham County Borough.

Oldham (England). County Borough Council. nb2004302054.

Date:: 1957

Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1957] / School Medical Officer of Health, Oldham County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

8/62 (page 6)

The year was memorable for the outbreak of “ Asian ” influenza which occurred in the Autumn. School attendance was most seriously affected and the number of staff who were absent caused further dislocation of school routine. Generally speaking, the illness was mild in character, though the occasional serious case occurred. At the beginning of the year measles was epidemic. The first rise in incidence was noted in December of the previous year and cases did not fall until the end of May. The other infectious diseases caused no anxiety, and even dysentery assumed mild proportions— only 37 cases being notified and confirmed. We frequently boast of the healthy and beautiful babies that attend our Welfare Centres, but the health and physique of our school children should also be commended. It is common knowledge that on the average children today are taller and heavier and more robust than the children of pre-war years. Among school entrants a few may have a serious defect which has been present since birth or early infancy, but they will have received skilled care and treatment. During their school years though exposed to the dangerous infectious diseases, diphtheria, whooping cough and poliomyelitis, they come to no harm as they have been protected in infancy and in later years they are protected against tuberculosis. Vaccination against smallpox is also available but this is not so freely accepted. The incidence of serious and debilitating diseases may be estimated by the deaths occurring among school children. In previous reports reference has been made to these deaths and each year they have been reported fully. In these modern days accidents of one sort or another are the main single cause of these deaths. In this field education and propaganda may play some part though the exuberant and adventurous who in later years will be the pioneers and leaders among their fellows will always be exposed to these special risks. Some deaths are due to congenital causes and even in these early years malignant tumours take their toll. From time to time, the acute abdominal emergency proves fatal and these deaths are especially distressing as they seem most frequent in the early teenage group. It is now rare for a death to occur from a preventable disease although this year a girl of six years who attended a non-maintained school died of whooping cough. Deaths in children attending our schools are no longer common and over a period of 9 years (1949/57) there have been 66 deaths. Of these, 23 were due to accidents (road 13, drowning 3, burns 2, others 5). With the exception of the deaths due to accidents, few of the deaths could have been prevented, and in almost every case skilled specialist and hospital treatment was made available during the fatal illness. I would refer you to the provision for handicapped pupils which is fully described in the Report. The Oldham Education Committee has always been to the fore in this field and the Special School provision which is available has been envied by many authorities. The early ascertainment of the handicapped pupil is especially important and in this connection the close co-operation between the Child Welfare Service and the School Health Service through the employment of joint staff is of particular value. In many cases the Health Visitor in the course of her routine visiting may bring a case to notice, or the Paediatrician may refer a pre-school child which he has treated in his Unit. In order to reach a decision in any case which may be in doubt, the consultant and specialist services are fully utilised even in the earliest years, and many if not all of these children are well known to your staff before reaching school age.