View report page

22
Maternity and Child Welfare.
The Maternity and Child Welfare Committee consists of 15 members, of whom
10 are members of the Council (including 3 women) and the remaining 5 are women,
also qualified by training or experience in subjects relating to health and maternity.
Much increased work has been carried out during the year in connection with
maternity and child welfare and the attendances at the centres have increased. On
account of the largely increased attendances of children at the Wednesday afternoon
clinic, an additional clinic on Fridays was started in February last year. This clinic
was held for some weeks on Friday mornings and later on Friday afternoons. The
Ante Natal Clinic, on alternate Wednesday mornings, which was begun in October,
1919, was continued during the year. I regret that the Short's Gardens Centre at the
London Medical Mission, Short's Gardens, had to be closed at the latter part of the
year as the branch of the London Medical Mission was discontinued.
Miss B. M. Kidd, M.B.Lond., was appointed Medical Officer of the two Municipal
Centres at the beginning of the year in succession to Dr. Lucy Harry who had resigned.
The Mary Ward Voluntary Centre, formerly called the Passmore Edwards Settlement
School for Mothers and used jointly with South St. Pancras, was continued during
the year. One of our Health Visitors continued to attend on Monday afternoons when
most of the Holborn children attend. An increased grant was agreed to by the
Council and approved by the Ministry of Health.
Mothers attending the Centres at John Street and Short's Gardens took part in
the National Mothercraft Competition in June, gaining a fourth and seventh place
respectively.
An exhibition of work done by the mothers attending both these Centres was held
at John Street during Health Week in May. Prizes and certificates were kindly
provided by the Mayor (Councillor William G. Coxen) and were distributed by the
Mayoress.
The number of Births, Infant Deaths, etc., in the year 1920 were as follows :—
Births.
Registered (1) Legitimate 749. (2) Illegitimate 78. (3) Total 827.
Notified (1) Live Births 564 (2) Still Births 10. (3) Total 574.
(1) By Midwives 315. (2) By Parents and Doctors 259.
When it was ascertained that a birth had not been notified, the respective doctor,
midwife or hospital was communicated with requesting the reason for non-notification.
Infant Deaths.
Number. (1) Legitimate 45. (2) Illegitimate 10. (3) Total 55.
Rate per 1,000 births. (1) Do. 60. (2) Do. 128. (3) Do. 66.