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39
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE WORK OF THE INFANT WELFARE CENTRE.
Infant Consultation Sessions are normally held by medical officers in the afternoons from
2 to 4 o'clock. At four of the centres two sessions per week are held, and at the remaining four
centres there are three sessions each week. At the Lancaster Road Centre there is an infant consultation
session on Thursday mornings from 10 o'clock to noon. The centres are very fortunate
in having exceptionally keen and able medical officers who show considerable interest in their work.
Ante-natal Clinics.—Special ante-natal clinics are held at every centre, and during the past
year 247 sessions were conducted. During the year representations were made to the Advisory
Committee that many expectant mothers were not able to attend ante-natal sessions during the afternoons,
but would be willing to visit the clinics if sessions were held in the evenings. Enquiries were
made at the appropriate institutions in the borough and, after very careful consideration of the
answers received, the Advisory Committee came to the conclusion that there was no occasion to
hold evening sessions.
In 1921 the Advisory Committee prepared a scheme for promoting closer co-operation between
midwives and the infant welfare centres, under which arrangements were made for the doctors at
the centres to give ante-natal advice at the request of the midwives to women who had booked with
them. Under this scheme, when the doctor has made the examination and given adequate advice,
the expectant mother is told to return to the midwife, and the doctor forwards a report on the case.
In order to bring this scheme again to the notice of the midwives, the Advisory Committee invited
the Mayoress (Mrs. Gordon Bird) in 1930 to convene a special meeting to which Kensington
midwives, medical officers and workers at the various maternity and child welfare institutions, and
the Council's health officers could be invited. The Mayoress showed a keen interest in the proposal
and a very successful meeting was held in January, 1931. It is hoped that, as a result, much closer
co-operation will be established between the infant welfare institutions and the midwives practising
in the borough.
The work of ante-natal consultations must grow as it becomes better known and, in view of the
excellent arrangements made by the voluntary committees, it is to be hoped that more expectant
mothers will take full advantage of them, and thus remove as far as possible all danger of disease
and accident in their confinements.
Home Visiting.—The Council's women health officers receive all notifications of birth, and these
are transferred to history cards. They pay " first visits " to infants in order to ascertain certain
information required by the Council in respect of births. If the mother of the child is in regular
attendance at an infant welfare centre, the health officer transfers the history card to the welfare
sister, who pays the subsequent home visits. Apart from " first visits," the Council's health officer
confines her attention to cases not in attendance at welfare centres or to difficult cases referred back
to her by the welfare sister.
Dental Treatment.—All the infant welfare centres now provide dental treatment. Each
endeavours, as far as possible, to make the scheme of treatment self-supporting by charging such
fees as the mothers can pay and by obtaining the dentures at a very low rate.
Although the dentures are generally not more than £4 to £5 for a complete set, they are very
well made and give considerable satisfaction.