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I should again like to draw attention to the work which
is being carried out by the voluntary helpers in the Maternity
and Child Welfare movement in Wimbledon. The Centres at
Pelham Road and Wandle Park House are fortunate in
having such enthusiastic workers. Their activities are much
appreciated by the mothers in Wimbledon.
During the latter part of the year a highly successful
Baby Show was held at the Municipal Baths. A great
number of mothers entered their children for this Show, and
the standard of the children was extremely good.
Municipal Day Nursery.— The work at the Day Nursery
at Hubert Road during 1931 was most satisfactory. The
number of children on the register at the end of the year
was ninety-three. These children came from eighty-two
families. The total attendances made by the children
amounted to 10,239 whole days. The average daily attendance
was 47.
The Nursery has acommodation for 50 children—20
infants and 30 toddlers. Infants are admitted from the age
of three weeks and toddlers remain until they commence
school at five years. The children are brought to the Nursery
between 7.30 and 9.0 a.m. They are then undressed, bathed,
and re-dressed in nursery clothes, their own clothes being
placed in numbered string bags and fumigated. Their heads
are washed at the Nursery once a week, and oftener if
this is found necessary.
The children are provided with three meals during the
day. Infants up to the age of eight or nine months are
bottle-fed, whilst the older children receive an excellent
dietary suitable to their age. This is supplemented by fruit
juice and cod liver oil and malt or virol.
Infants up to the age of nine months are weighed
weekly, and thereafter monthly up to the age of two years.
Toddlers up to the age of five years are weighed every three
months. During 1931, 700 "weighings" were carried out.
The children respond well to the nursery life and show a
satisfactory gain in weight.
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