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118
Miss J. M. Cardozo, Chief Health Visitor, reports as follows:—
Home Visiting.—During the last 12 months' visiting, one thing is
outstanding—the inestimable value of the mother who is a good housekeeper.
In one home with a small income, the care and self-sacrifice of
the mother is reflected in the well-being of the whole family. The
children and home are clean, the food carefully purchased and well
cooked. In a second home with the same, or even larger, income and
a bad manager, there is squalor and want. No praise is too high for many
of our mothers who are putting up such a good fight under great difficulties
and getting excellent results. For the rest, it is only by constant
visiting and advice that we can hope to instil into them the benefit of
cleanliness and good housekeeping, and to get them to realise that bread
and margarine is not the cheapest food available. It is interesting to
note that the mortality rate among infants visited (28.1) is the lowest
ever recorded.
Clinics.
Ante-Natal.— The mothers now come voluntarily to the Clinics.
569 expectant mothers attended and were closely followed up by visiting.
There have been no maternal deaths among the mothers who have been
in attendance at the Ante-Natal Clinics of the Borough Council and of
the Royal College of St. Katharine.
The additional morning session at Simpsons Road from April 3rd
has relieved the overcrowding, and post-natal mothers are now attending.
Infant Consultation.— The attendances at all Clinics has increased, the
large numbers making the work difficult, especially at Old Ford, where
we are severely handicapped by the inconvenient premises.
We are now reaping the benefit of the teaching given at the Clinics
during the past years. Clinic mothers of early days are now grandmothers—no
longer obstructionists, as was so often the case, but our
true allies. Some of our present-day mothers and fathers were at one
time Clinic babies. This makes the work interesting, and is a valuable
asset to the Maternity and Child Welfare Scheme.
Our thanks are due to the Royal College of St. Katharine for their
readiness to co-operate in the work, and also to the various associations
who have given grants towards dentures, and to friends who have sent
woollies and clothes for the Jumble Sales.