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of Urban localities. Under the Registration Act, a birth need
only be registered within 42 days of the occurrence, and it has
frequently happened that information of the birth and death were
received at the Health Department at the same time, thereby
precluding any measures being taken to prevent these deaths,
many of which are preventable.
The adoption of the Act in Battersea has enabled a large
number of homes in the poorer quarters of the Borough in which
births have occurred to be visited, and advice being given by the
Health Visitor to the mothers, where such is found necessary, as
to the feeding and rearing of their infants. Insanitary conditions
which may have been noted at the time at the homes are reported
and dealt with in the usual manner. Further, valuable information
as to the social and hygienic conditions present have been
obtained, and are recorded in the Health Department statistics.
Of the total number (2,820) of births notified up to the end of
1908, 820 (i.e., 29.4 per cent.) have been visited by the Council's
Health Visitor. The districts in which these births have occurred
have been specially selected, and the following summary of the
results of the inquiries made into these 820 births are set out
below.
The enquiries made had reference as to the parents:—
(a.) To health and occupation of ; character of the labour,
whether a doctor or midwife in attendance ; condition
of the home and number of rooms occupied.
(b.) As to the child: Condition of health at birth and
nature of food given.
(a.) As to the mothers:—
In 61 instances the character of the labour was described as
being "difficult."
In 399 instances a doctor was in attendance at the birth ; in
319 the woman was attended by a midwife; in 53 cases an uncertified
nurse or person was in attendance.