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INFANT CONSULTATIONS.
The work of Infant Consultations has continued
on the same lines as heretofore, that is, the individual
instruction of the mother by the doctor or health
visitor. It is sometimes suggested that lectures to
mothers, or something in the nature of class instruction,
should be a feature of the Centre work. For
many reasons it is quite impracticable to adopt such
a suggestion at present. The most that can be done
is to give a simple health talk to the assembled
mothers occasionally, but even this is difficult, owing
to shortage of staff and to the fact that not every
health visitor feels able to fill a role which, simple in
appearance, is a somewhat difficult one.
A few observations by the Medical Officers will be
of interest: —
Dr. Olive Langmead writes:—
"For some time past I have been making a special effort to
retain breast-feeding, wholly or partially. A supply of
breast-pumps is available at the Centre which I have found
extremely useful in two types of case:—
(1) In cases of mothers who complain that there is no
breast milk: Here the breast-pump provides an
undeniable proof, not only of the actual presence of
milk, but of the amount which can be drawn off from
each breast, and the mothers are thereby encouraged
to feed at the breast:
(2) In cases where there is not very much breast milk, or
where there is a fair amount of milk, but the baby
(for various reasons) refuses to suck, or will only
partially empty the breast. Usually, the babies are
partially or wholly weaned; in such a case a breastpump
is lent to the mother, who draws off the breast
milk and gives it to her baby, finishing when necessary
with a supplementary artificial feed.
By this means some babies have returned entirely to breast
feeding only, and a large number have only needed supplementary
feeds instead of being completely weaned."