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37
Supply of Milk for Expectant and Nursing Mothers and for Infants,
Ministry of Health Circular 185, dated 31 st March, 1921.
The number of families helped at any one time by the Council
during the year under this Scheme varied from 59 to 95. The cost to
the Borough Council was £156 3s. 0d. for milk and £149 14s. 6d.
for other food. This figure does not include administration expenses.
The help that has been afforded under the scheme in force for
administering this fund has been of great assistance to poor families.
Milk or food is granted, either free or at half cost, to expectant and
nursing mothers and infants under three years of age, where the scale of
income falls below a certain standard.
General Survey and Supervision of the health of expectant and nursing
mothers and of children under five years of age.
As far back as October, 1923, I suggested to the Maternity and
Child Welfare Committee that a special Sub-Committee should be
appointed for the purpose of enquiring into infant deaths, and the
Maternity Committee then resolved to appoint such a Sub-Committee,
the reference being to enquire into the death of every infant under two
years of age.
The Sub-Committee appointed consisted of the three medical
members of the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee—Drs. Boyd,
George, and MacFadden, with the Chairman—Councillor Mrs. Fisher
—ex-officio.
It was further resolved that the Health Visitors should attend the
meetings of the Sub-Committee, prepared to report on all deaths of
infants under two years of age which had occurred in their respective
districts.
It has, for some time past, been the duty of the Health Visitors to
investigate and specially report to me upon all deaths of infants under
two years of age ; but it was net until January, 1924, that each case
was thus investigated by a Committee.
The nature of the Sub-committee's investigations is indicated by
the Inquiry form used by them, which is as follows:
Inquiry by Sub-Committee of Maternity and Child Welfare Committee
into the Death of a Child under Two Years of Age.
Name of Child :
Legitimate or Illegitimate:
Occupation of Father :
Occupation of Mother :