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MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
Another noteworthy feature of the last five years is the
development of the Maternity and Child Welfare work. Previous
to 1921 we had a couple of Health Visitors, whose duty it was to
visit mothers, and advise them when they had recently been confined.
In 1920 the number of Health Visitors was increased to
four, and very shortly after this to eight. In September, 1921,
the first whole-time lady doctor was appointed to take charge of
the Maternity and Child Welfare section of the work, and in 1925
a second whole-time lady doctor was appointed to assist in this
direction. Not only did the staff of the Maternity and Child
Welfare section show an increase, but the scope of the work
itself has been much extended during the last five years. The
first point of departure was the increase in the number of
Maternity and Child Welfare Centres, where the mothers could
go with their infants. Previously this had only been done through
voluntary agencies. The next plan was the co-ordination of these
voluntary agencies with the work of the Council, and this was
done mainly through the Council subsidising each of the voluntary
agencies to the extent of the medical fees incurred by them.
This was accompanied by the provision of a certain amount of
control and supervision by the Council and Medical Officer of
Health.
Under the 1918 Act the Council also decided to co-opt a
certain number of outside members to the Maternity and Child
Welfare Committee. The number of voluntary centres at the
present time is five, and these receive an annual total sum of
£1,378, and the number of municipal centres is the same.
With regard to the activities of the centres, they started by
giving advice to mothers with their infants, mostly under one
year. Next sewing classes were started, the object of these being
to teach mothers how to make small garments for infants and
toddlers. The mothers buy a certain amount of material at cost
price, and are taught how to cut this out and make it up. Sewing
machines are provided at each of the Centres, and these have
proved to be a great success. The next step was the starting of
special sessions for toddlers, as it is quite impossible to attend
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