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48
Number of babies who attended at weighing
room—continued.
16 attendances 2
17 ,, 1
18 ,, 2
20 ,, 2
24 ,, 1
25 ,, 2
27 ,, 1
29 ,, 1
30 ,, 1
36 ,, 1
Intimation notices served 58
Statutory notices served 15
Children under observation at home 40
The value of the preventive methods adopted in Battersea for
dealing with infantile mortality will be gauged from a perusal
of the foregoing results. That these methods have been largely
successful will be, I think, admitted. Much more remains to
be done; and it is only by systematic and constant effort that
success in this direction can be attained. The Notification of
Births Act, 1907, which the Council by resolution adopted on
the 27th November last, will prove a most useful measure in
the prevention of infant mortality.
The Act provides that the ''duty" of notifying a birth
to the Medical Officer of Health devolves in the first instance
upon the father of the child, if he be living in the house at the
time of the occurrence of the birth ; and if not, then upon
" any person in attendance upon the mother at the time of, or
within six hours after, the birth." The notice must "be given
by posting a prepaid letter or postcard . . . within thirtysix
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."
The notification is "in addition to, and not in substitution
for, the requirements of any Act relating to the registration of