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35
Health Visitors and Female Sanitary Inspectors.
NOTIFICATION OF BIRTHS.
During the year 1912, nine hundred and eighty eight
more visits were made to the homes of babies than in the
previous year, the total number being 3312. This increase
was largely due to the fact that early notification as required
by the Act has been systematically carried out, and it may
be said that the Notification of Births Act is now working
efficiently in the Borough.
There were 2896 births registered during 1912.
,, 2997 „ notified ,, „
These figures show that the compulsory notification under
the Act within 36 hours is much more valuable to us than the
registration of the birth which may not take place until six
weeks after the birth.
Your Lady Health Visitors report that they have visited
each home, usually about the middle of the second week where
the notification has been made by the midwife or responsible
person, and shortly after the mother is up, where a medical
practitioner has notified the birth, should your Medical Officer
of Health consider it a suitable case for visitation. Your
Medical Officer considers that if visited early the mother is
open to receive advice concerning her offspring, and will
frequently tell the Health Visitors of little difficulties she may
have with other children and seek that advice which it is in the
province of a Health Visitor to give.
The midwives receive the visits to their patients quite
cordially, and support our efforts in advising the mother in the
care of herself and her offspring.
Breast-feeding is generally attempted for the first two
months, after which time the milk disappears or becomes of
very poor quality. It is unfortunately a fact that the child is
then fed either upon boiled bread, cheap brands of condensed
milk, or as an alternative skimmed milk.