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The rate in Walham Ward is, as usual, much above that
of the rest of the borough, which is mainly due to the excessive
mortality in Heckfield Place, where it was in the proportion
of 284 deaths to 1,000 births. Excluding Heckfield
Place, the infantile death-rate of Walham Ward was 125 per
1,000.
Prevention of Infant Mortality. Notification of Births Act.
3,327 notifications were received under the above Act,
3,263 of living and 64 of still-born children, 79 per cent, of
the births registered being notified. Of these, 2,010, or 60.4
per cent., were notified by midwives; 1,004, or 30.2 per cent.,
by medical practitioners; and 313 by the fathers or some other
relative.
788 mothers were visited by the Sanitary Inspector,
Mrs. Davies, who gives personal advice, leaves printed
instructions as to feeding, etc., and secures the removal of
insanitary defects in the home. It is to be regretted that
more cannot be done in this direction, as experience proves
that to produce the best results frequent visiting is essential,
as the work of educating adult women with ideas of their own
is a slow process, and I would again press upon the Council
the necessity for the appointment of a Health Visitor for this,
and also for other work in connection with the infectious
ailments of children, such as Measles and Whooping Cough,
and notified cases of Consumption, for which properly trained
women are especially suited.
The Fulham School for Mothers, which was founded in
1908 with the object of endeavouring to reduce the excessive
mortality among infants by the systematic instruction of
nursing mothers, has again made most satisfactory progress
during the year, as 326 babies were registered by the
B