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26
St. Thomas's Cornwall Babies' Hostel.
During the year arrangements were temporarily made with
St. Thomas's Cornwall Babies' Hostel, with the sanction of the
Ministry of Health, for the provision of facilities for cases sent from
the Borough Maternity and Child Welfare Clinics for test feeding
and the encouragement of breast feeding amongst Battersea
mothers.
The results of the year's work have been very promising and
are summarised below:—
A. Test Feeds.
Number of cases, 95, comprising: Mothers, 95; babies, 98.
Number of attendances, 102.
7 cases received in-patient treatment.
B. In-Patient Treatment.
28 Battersea cases received, made up of—
10 (mother and babe in each case) sent by Council.
8 (babies only) sent from other sources.
Period of stay.
20 cases sent by Council—
9 mothers and babies, 184 days Average
1 mother 5 days, and baby 75 days 22.4 days
8 other cases—8 babies, 144 days. Average 18 days.
A contribution of £50 was made by the Council towards the
cost of this work, which was included in the estimates of the Maternity
and Child Welfare Scheme.
Milk for Necessitous Persons.
Under the provisions of the Maternity and Child Welfare
Act, 1918, Milk is provided by the Council for necessitous expectant
and nursing mothers and children under 5 years of age. The
following table gives particulars relating to the number of persons
supplied, quantities distributed and cost after deducting payments
made bv those able in part to contribute :-
Year.
Dried Milk.
Fresh Milk.
Cost (after
deducting
payments
made).
Persons
supplied.
lbs.
supplied.
Persons
supplied.
Pints
supplied.
£
1920 1,473 15,588 233 31,894 3,330
1921 2,391 49,020 301 27,254 5,011
1922 2,469 61,511 260 23,879 5,279
1923 2,231 50,110 219 25,633 3,288
1924 1,840 51,837 178 17,654 2,533
1925 1,620 44,805 222 26,079 2,631
1926 609 30,762 699* 89,435 3,262
* Of these 469 also received dried milk.