London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Chelsea 1938
Report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1938
This page requires JavaScript
37
The health of the children has been satisfactory.
Dr. C. K. Hamilton is Medical Officer to the Nursery and makes a
weekly inspection of the children.
(3) Chelsea Mothercraft Home.—Chelsea Manor Street, S.W.3.
The Mothercraft Training Home provides accommodation for six
nursing mothers, with their babies, for the treatment of lactation difficulties,
and for three normal breast-fed infants whose mothers are
employed as maids in the home. There is also accommodation for seven
or more premature and other babies, requiring special care and dieting.
In addition, there is an observation nursery to which four nursing mothers
may come during the day, with their babies, for test feeds and instruction.
The wards open on to a balcony and roof garden.
The Home is efficiently administered and the arrangements instituted
for the treatment of lactation cases have proved eminently satisfactory.
The following Table No. 29 shows the work carried out in the Home
during the past year :—
TABLE No. 2 THE MOTHERCRAFT HOME.
| Mothers. | Babies. | |
|---|---|---|
| Beds available | 6 | 16 |
| Admitted during year | 70 | 128 |
| Discharged during year | 72 | 133 |
| Average length of stay | 22 days | 38.9 days |
| Average length of stay of resident babies admitted as normal breast-fed infants | 213.3 days | |
| Daily average number of in-patients | 4.2 | 16.5 |
| Test-Feed attendances | 208 | 208 |
| Number of individual mothers who attended for Test Feeds (of whom 102 attended for 1 day only) | 132 | |
| Number of mothers who brought their babies for advice re feeding | 64 | — |
| Recovered, including 2 babies admitted as normal | |
| Improving | 1 |
| Died (including 2 babies who died within 24 hours of admission) | 5 |
| Referred to Hospital for treatment |
| (1) For insufficient breast milk | 55 |
| Discharged fully breast fed | 31 |
| Discharged partly breast fed | |
| Failed to breast feed | |
| Weaned on account of mother's health | 1 |