View report page

73
Report on the work of the Health Visitor.
During the year 1913 the number of births visited by the Council's Health
Visitor was 1,430. Of this number 37 died, and the parents of 4 removed before
the first visit was made. In 13 instances an incorrect address had been given.
304 cases were attended by doctors ; the remainder were attended bymidwives.
The majority of the infants were breast-fed entirely at the time of the first
visit of the Health Visitor, but it was found at subsequent visits that artificial
feeding, either partly or entirely, was resorted to after the first month or so. At
the first visit 1,210 infants were breast-fed, 62 were artificially fed, and 77 were
partly breast and partly bottle-fed.
Nestle's milk was more generally used than cow's milk. Boiled bread, teabiscuits,
and oatmeal were occasionally given to supplement breast-feeding in
spite of advice to the contrary.
272 were first-born children; the mothers were more anxious to learn and
appreciated the advice given than the mothers who had several children. Instruction
as to the necessity for cleanliness, fresh air, suitable clothing and regularity of
feeding was given. Where feeding-bottles were used the boat-shape bottle was
recommended as being easier to cleanse than one with a long tube.
176 infants died before they were a year old, which is equivalent to an infantile
mortality of 123 per 1,000 births. If the 37 deaths of infants who died immediately
after birth and before the first visit was made were excluded, the infantile mortality
for the area would be 97 per 1,000 births.