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73
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
The Borough Council's Scheme of Maternity and Child Welfare work includes the following
amongst other activities :—
(a) The home visiting of expectant and nursing mothers and children by the Council's
staff of Women Health Officers.
(b) Co-ordination of the work of the voluntary maternity and child welfare institutions in
the Borough.
(c) The subsidisation of the voluntary infant welfare institutions.
(d) The provision of " home helps."
(e) The provision of hospital accommodation for infants.
(f) The provision of convalescent home accommodation for mothers and infants.
(g) The provision of home nursing for sick mothers and infants.
(h) The supply of milk and meals free or at a reduced price to necessitous mothers and
infants.
(i) The provision of a maternity home.
(j) Arrangements for the treatment of ophthalmia neonatorum and zymotic enteritis.
(k) The subsidisation of a massage and electrical treatment centre for cases of infantile
paralysis, etc.
(l) The distribution of pamphlets and booklets giving advice on various matters concerning
the welfare of mothers and infants.
During the past five years there has been a more or less complete re-organisation of the
administrative work in connection with the Maternity and Child Welfare services in the Borough.
In 1920, a comprehensive survey was made of the Maternity and Child Welfare activities
in Kensington of the Borough Council and the many excellent voluntary organisations.
After a study of the report based on this survey, the Council concluded that the voluntary organisations
were not only carrying out good work, but were capable of expansion to meet any
further needs. In these circumstances, the Council adopted the general principle that the Maternity
and Child Welfare scheme in Kensington should be on a voluntary basis as far as possible, but in
order that there should be no overlapping and waste of effort, such as had existed in the past,
particularly in connection with home visiting, they concluded that it was necessary to establish a
central voluntary committee to co-ordinate the work of the various organisations and to secure
complete co-operation between these and the Borough Council.
This Committee, which was established at the end of 1920, was called the Advisory Committee
and consists of two representatives from each of the Infant Welfare Centre Committees and two
from the Baby Clinic at No. 92, Tavistock Road. The first work on which the Advisory Committee
were engaged was to arrange, in conjunction with the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee, a
comprehensive scheme of welfare work for the Borough. This scheme was put into operation at
the beginning of 1921 and has worked smoothly during the ensuing five years. In particular,
overlapping in home visiting has been completely eliminated and each Infant Welfare Centre has
a clear and well defined sphere of action within the area of the Borough allotted to its care. There
has been complete harmony amongst the various organisations and between them and the Borough
Council.
There is no doubt that the formation of the Advisory Committee was the first sound step
towards real co-operation and its existence has been fully justified by the able manner in which
difficult problems have been solved and by the enthusiastic way in which the various institutions
work under its guidance.
The fact that the Borough Maternity and Child Welfare Committee have adopted practically
every recommendation forwarded by the Advisory Committee reflects the greatest possible credit
on the work of that voluntary body.
WOMEN HEALTH OFFICERS.
The Maternity and Child Welfare duties allotted to the Council's Women Health Officers
are as follow :—
1. To visit the homes of all newly-born children amongst the working classes within
21 days after birth, and subsequently as circumstances indicate.
2. To visit the homes and make investigations in regard to still-births and infantile
deaths.
3. To visit and give advice to parents in cases of ophthalmia, zymotic enteritis and other
diseases causing deaths amongst infants.