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When inquiring into these figures it must be remembered that there are
roughly 2,000 strangers born each year in the Borough who are only
temporary residents, but who in many instances attend once or twice before
returning home, which accounts to some extent for the discrepancy between
the number of births and the number of infants attending. Also, an infant
is regarded as such throughout the year if under the age of one year on
January the 1st of that year, which means, of course, that many toddlers up
to nearly two years of age are actually counted as infants. In addition there
is, of course, a considerable migration both inward and outward which
cannot be estimated.
The attendancies of infants are so regular compared with those of toddlers
who outnumber them some three or more times, that many more home
visits are paid to toddlers than to infants in an endeavour to maintain
some supervision over many who have ceased to attend the welfare centre.
(iv) Hospital Treatment.
No regular treatment other than dental, light and massage is undertaken
at welfare centres, although at times some treatment for minor ailments
such as impetigo and the dressing of minor injuries resulting from accidents
is carried out.
Cases requiring orthopaedic treatment, the provision of spectacles,
operation for tonsils and adenoids, etc., are referred to the family doctor
or to one of the voluntary hospitals. No definite arrangements of this nature
have been made, but each welfare centre sends its cases to one voluntary
hospital unless the mother prefers a letter from the doctor to another
hospital than the one with which the centre is informally linked. Advantage
is, of course, taken of the facilities afforded by the County Council hospitals,
though to a limited extent, and full use is made of the St. Thomas's Babies'
Hostel which, with its 19 cots, is primarily intended for cases of malnutrition.
(v) Minor Ailments.
The treatment of these presents great difficulty unless and until they
become major in character. On the one hand, many parents have too
little money to engage the services of a family doctor, and on the other
cannot afford the time to attend a voluntary hospital with its frequently
prolonged periods of waiting. In consequence, it is often discovered that a
child fails to get any skilled medical treatment at all.
There is, of course, an arrangement with each of the seven District
Nursing Associations for the home nursing of various infectious diseases,
for which a flat rate of 1s. 3d. per visit is paid.' Nurses' visits paid to
children under five numbered 2,124 in 1935.