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23
Of the 401 infants fed from the Milk Depot, 279 were admitted
during 1913. The majority of the children admitted during the
year were suffering more or less seriously from ill-health on
admission.
The nature of the diseases or ailments from which the majority
of these infants suffered embraced almost all the diseases of infancy,
congenital and developmental affections affecting the largest
number.
The total number of deaths amongst the children fed from
the Dep6t was 35, giving a death-rate of 85, as compared with
111, the general infantile mortality for the Borough. Fourteen
of the dead children had ceased taking the milk for varying periods
before death, and in several cases the children had only been taking
the milk for a few days, having been put on as a last resource. The
mortality statistics of the Milk Depot children, all things considered,
are very satisfactory.
The weighing of the babies fed from the Council's Milk Depot
is carried out weekly at the Latchmere Baths (two days) and Nine
Elms Baths (one day), rooms having been placed at our disposal
through the courtesy of the Baths Committee. A very much larger
number of babies, visited under the Notification of Births Act, are
also weighed periodically at these weighing centres, and the practice
serves a very useful purpose as an educational centre for infant
care work and in keeping the mothers interested in the progress
of their babies. It also enables a regular supervision to be exercised
ovel the infants fed from the Milk Depot, the weight of
each child being recorded and its progress noted in the registers.
The mothers are at the same time given advice in such cases as
may be found necessary, and any serious deviations from, the
norma] progress of the children are reported at once to the Medical
Officer of Health.
The Council's Health Visitor (Miss Moss), who is in charge
of the weighing-room at Latchmere Baths, reports:—"I cannot
speak too highly of the help that the weekly weighing afternoons
are to the work. It is no uncommon thing to receive letters
asking for advice from mothers who have removed from the
Borough, and they frequently make long journeys to show how
the children are progressing." It will be seen, therefore, that this
feature of the Council's work is becoming increasingly popular,
and that the ignorance of mothers, which in the past has been
one of the factors responsible for a high rate of infant mortality,
is rapidly disappearing, and a newer, brighter, and happier home
life is being created and fostered by measures which have for
their object the saving of infant life.