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133
Child Welfare and Infantile Mortality.
Maternity and Child Welfare.
This subject has been given careful consideration during the year.
On July 30th the Local Government Board addressed a circular
letter to Sanitary Authorities intimating that grants would be distributed
by them in aid of the expenditure of local authorities and voluntary
agencies in respect of institutions or other provision for maternity and
child welfare. This grant is in aid of expenditure in respect of clinics,
dispensaries, or other institutions primarily concerned with the provision
of medical and surgical advice and treatment, as well as in respect of the
salaries of health visitors and other officers engaged for this work.
The Board stated that more extended and systematic measures than
have hitherto been generally adopted are necessary, and they expressed
the hope that the grant of assistance from the Exchequer would stimulate
those local authorities who had not yet taken action, to give the
matter their earnest consideration and would encourage those already
engaged in work to develop it still further.
The circular letter further stated that up to the present local
authorities, in their infant welfare work, had concerned themselves more
especially with the child in its first year of life; but that the matter
was, however, one which needed to be dealt with on a more comprehensive
basis, and it was clearly desirable that there should be continuity
in dealing with the whole period from before birth until the time when
the child was entered upon a school register, i.e., the register of a public
elementary school, nursery school, creche, day nursery, school for
mothers, or other school. It was intimated that extension of the
existing work was accordingly needed in two directions; on the one
hand it was necessary that measures should be taken for securing
improved anti-natal and natal conditions, and on the other, provision
should be made for continuing the work in relation to children beyond
the first year of life.
A memorandum, which had been prepared by the Board's Medical
Officer with a view to assisting the formulation of schemes of extending
the work already undertaken, and setting forth in outline the matters
needing consideration in the preparation of a comprehensive schemes
was enclosed, and this memorandum obviously contemplated that medical
advice and, where necessary, treatment should be continuously and