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REPORT ON MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE, 1921.
The following report on the Maternity and Child Welfare Work
in the Borough was presented by Dr. Stella Churchill, Assistant
M.O.H. for Maternity and Child Welfare Work. I am glad of the
prominence given to the co-ordination between the Voluntary and
Municipal Centres, which I have always been at great pains to foster.
The work has greatly extended during the past two years and the
giving of advice both by visiting in the homes and at the Centres is
greatly appreciated by the mothers of the Borough.
"The year 1921 was remarkable for the prolonged drought and
hot weather, yet the number of infants under one year dying from
all kinds of gastro-enteritis was only 60, while there was a total of
303 deaths, with 74 due to Respiratory disease.
The infantile Death Rate rose to 93 (London 83); and Bronchopneumonia
alone accounted for 53 deaths.
Among the children brought to the Infant Welfare Centres there
were numerous cases of "Summer Diarrhœa," which yielded to
prompt treatment, and we have found it a great help to have placards
at each weighing centre directing the mothers to seek medical
advice at once in such cases.
The problem of dealing with respiratory diseases in young children
is chiefly to be met by the provision of adequate home nursing
and the improvement of housing conditions.
Staff. There have been two changes; Mrs. Smith left early in
the year, and Miss Sharman gave up Oxley Street at Christmas after
five years work at a small but very important centre (taken over by
the Borough in March 1920). She was very popular with the mothers,
but she has an energetic successor in Miss Child. The vacancies
were filled by Miss Helden (No. 1 District) and Miss Middleton (No. 6
District), who were recently Municipal Midwives in the Borough.
The numbers attending Municipal Centres were 1,521, of whom
924 were new mothers and babies.
Infant Welfare Centres. There were 66 deaths among children
under 3 years attending the Municipal Centres, as follows:-
Broncho-pneumonia 25
Meningitis 1
Eczema 2
Enteritis 22
Marasmus 13
Prematurity 3