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27
Diarrhoea and Enteritis.
Four deaths for 1930 were recorded. The following
tabulation shews the figures for the past five years:—
Years. Deaths.
1926 3
1927 4
1928 2
1929 3
1930 4
Calculated on the basis of babies born in the year there
has been, during the past five years, an increase of
Diarrhoea and Enteritis Death Rate. Taking the five
yearly periods since 1911 the rate was 16 per 1,000 babies;
the rate fell to 3.8 per 1,000 in 1916/1920; 3 per thousand
in 1921/1925, and has again risen to 5 per 1,000 during
1926/1930.
As I have reported in previous years, this is a disease
largely under control, but the need for transfers of all
acute cases to hospital for active treatment is most desirable,
it being more difficult to maintain home treatment.
Children Act, 1908, Part I.
There are 54 boarded-out children on the register,
and 41 registered foster-mothers. One hundred and fiftyone
visits to the homes of these children were made by the
Health Visitors, who are the Infant Protection Visitors for
the purposes of the Act.
This is a most important part of our work, and one
not always easy. Difficulty of keeping in close touch with
the movements of the foster child has been experienced
during the year. Sometimes cases are transferred from
the area, and the destination address is either incorrectly
notified to the department, or it is unknown; notice of
reception is frequently not received by the authority of
the district to which the child has been moved, and by
the time the correct address has been found the child has
been removed still further afield. There is need of new
legal provision in the supervision of such children. Before
reception can be made, the new foster-mother should
receive permission to become a foster-mother, and no child
should be removed without a removal certificate.