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34
The work of health visiting in Hampstead was greatly facilitated
in 1908 by the Notification of Births Act, which came into operation
on March 9th. The chief provisions of this important Act are as
follows:—
(1) In the case of every child born in an area in which this Act
is adopted it shall be the duty of the father of the child, if he is
actuålly residing in the house where the birth takes place at the
time of its occurrence, and of any person in attendance upon the
mother at the time of, or within six hours after the birth, to give
notice in writing of the birth to the Medical Officer of Health of
the District in which the child is born in manner provided by this
section.
(2) Notice under this section shall be given by posting a
prepaid letter or postcard addressed to the Medical Officer of Health
at his Office or Residence, giving the necessary information of the
birth within thirty-six hours after the birth, or by delivering a
written notice of the birth at the Office or residence of the Medical
Officer within the same time; and the Local Authority shall supply
without charge addressed and stamped postcards containing the
form of notice to any Medical Practitioner or Midwife residing or
practising in their area, who applies for the same.
(3) Any person who fails to give notice of a birth in accordance
with this section shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty
not exceeding twenty shillings: Provided that a person shall not be
liable to a penalty under this provision if he satisfies the court that
he had reasonable grounds to believe that notice had been duly given
by some other person.
(4) The notification required to be made under this Act shall
be in addition to and not in substitution for the requirements of
any Act relating to the registration of births; and any registrar of
births and deaths whose sub-district or any part thereof is situate
within any area in which this Act is adopted shall at all reasonable
times have access to notices of births received by the Medical
Officer of Health under this Act, or to any book in which those
notices may be recorded, for the purpose of obtaining information
concerning births which may have occurred in his sub-district.
(5) This section shall apply to any child which has issued forth
from its mother after the expiration of the twenty-eight week of
pregnancy, whether alive or dead.