View report page

20
Even more satisfactory results would be achieved if it were possible
to carry out a systematic system of re-visitation in connection with
the births of infants notified, but this is not feasible with the staff
available. Attention has therefore to be concentrated on those
districts and cases where the indications point most clearly to the
necessity for frequent and systematic re-visiting. Thus of one
group of 290 children visited by Miss Moss, 74 were found to be in
bad health suffering from various infantile maladies, e.g., congenital
debility, malnutrition, tuberculosis, impetigo, respiratory diseases,
convulsion, ophthalmia, rupture, hare-lip, cleft palate, &c., &c.
The need and value of such systematic visitation will be fully appreciated
from the above list, and I have no hesitation in stating
that the lives of many more infants would be saved in industrial
districts such as Battersea by an extension of the systematic visitation
and revisitation of notified births.
Infants' Milk Depôt.
During the year 1910 the number of infants fed from the
Council's Milk Depot was 492 as compared with 567 in 1909. Of
this number 450 were resident in Battersea and the remaining
42 in adjoining districts. Of the 492 infants fed, 187 were already
on the books of the Milk Depot at the beginning of the year, so that
the number of children who were admitted during the year was 305.
The age at which these children commenced taking the milk
and the length of time fed are shown in the following table :—