View report page

18
Prevention of Infant Mortality.
Notification of Births Act.
The Notification of Births Act has been, with the sanction
of the Local Government Board, adopted by the Council, and
came into operation within the borough on March 14th, 1908.
From that date to January 2nd, 1909, 2,915 notifications were
received, and in the same period 3,647 births were registered, so
that about 80 per cent, of the births were duly notified:—1,381
of the notifications, or 47 per cent., were forwarded by midwives,
898, or 31 per cent., by medical practitioners, and 636, or 22 per
cent., by the father or other relative.
1,725 mothers were visited during the year either by Mrs.
Davies, the Sanitary Inspector, or by one of the ladies who have
been good enough to assist in this work, and as a rule they are
well received, but it is not possible, even with the help of the
voluntary workers, to secure the frequent visiting which is essential
to success.
As I have before stated, if the Council wish to fulfil the obligation
they assumed when they adopted the Notification of
Births Act, two ladies should be appointed to act exclusively
as Health Visitors.
Prominent mention must be made of a scheme to reduce the
high infantile mortality in Fulham by the systematic instruction
of nursing mothers, which has been recently started by Mrs.
Frank Stoop, who was mainly instrumental in founding the
crêche, or day nursery, in Harwood Road, which has been most
helpful to mothers compelled to go out to work. Since July
last an Infants Consultation has been held once a week at St.
Augustine's Hall, Lillie Road, kindly lent by Rev P. S. G. Propert,
Vicar of St. Augustine's, at which mothers and their
babies have been seen by Miss Benham, M.D.Lond., or Mrs.
Dunnett, M.D.Lond., given advice as to the best methods of
feeding and nursing, and subsequently visited at their homes by
lady helpers. The success which has attended this has encouraged
the promoters to extend their efforts, and if there is
adequate response to the appeal for the necessary funds, it is
their intention to take permanent premises and work on the
lines of the St. Pancras School for Mothers, which has been
so successful.