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113
Notification of Births Acts, 1907, 1915.
Under the provisions of the above Acts all births must be notified to the Medical
Officer of Health within 36 hours of the event. This applies to the birth of a child, alive or
dead, which has issued forth from its mother after the 28th week of pregnancy. This
notification is in addition to, and not in substitution for the registration of birth.
The number of live births notified during the year was 3,735 and of still births 144.
There were '233 illegitimate births. The number of registered live births was 3,739, which
shows that notification is obtained in practically every case. early notification is necessary
for an efficient Maternity and Child Welfare service. on receipt of this information the
whole machinery is set in motion and a Health Visitor calls on or about the fourteenth day.
Where necessary, both the mother and baby are offered the various available facilities. Cards
of advice are dispatched by post to the individual mothers immediately after the receipt of
the notification of birth.
Ministry of Health Circular 1550.
In July the above-mentioned Circular was considered, dealing with the arrangements
for the supervision of the health of children under school age. The Minister of Health is
satisfied that the arrangements made with regard to children up to eighteen months or two
years are adequate, but he is of opinion that in many areas insufficient attention is being
given to the health of young children from that age to five years. A comprehensive report
on the subject was presented by the Medical Officer of Health, which contained the following
recommendations, which were subsequently approved by the Borough Council:—
(a) Every effort should be made to organise the work at the welfare centres so as to
increase the time available for visiting children between the ages of one and live years.
(b) Facilities for treatment would be improved if an arrangement were made to enable
pre school children to obtain treatment at the school treatment centres in the Borough.
(c) It is suggested that the Eastman Dental Clinic and the London County Council
be approached jointly with a view to its being made possible for young children to be
referred from the Welfare Centres to this clinic for treatment.
(d) The introduction of a system of sending birthday cards inviting children to attend
the centres is advised.
CHILD WKLFAKE.
The two essentials upon which all other child welfare activities depend are home
visiting and attendance at centres. Both are indispensable, but it should be borne in mind
that while good routine home visiting reaches all and has the effect of filling the centres,
reliance upon attendance at centres to the neglect of home visiting will do little or nothing
for those children whose mothers do not yet recognise the importance of periodic inspection.

[See Table IV for details of work at each Centre.]