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held at six centres. Each week nine sessions are held for
expectant mothers and 12 infant welfare and three toddlers'
clinics are held. In 1914 the infantile mortality rate was
94 per 1,000 live births; by 1941 this had been reduced to
41. In 1914, '276 of the 2,985 children born to Hammersmith
mothers died during their first year (the highest
number recorded was in 1911 when 434 of the 2,929
children born died before attaining the age of one year).
In 1941 only 52 infants died in their first year. Of these
27 died in the first month (neonatal deaths), chiefly due
to birth injuries and prematurity. These figures are calculated
upon statistics supplied by the Registrar General. If
the infantile mortality rate for 1941 is calculated upon
the actual number of births in the Borough (1,405) the
figure is 37. It is of interest to note that if the rate of 37
per thousand had existed in 1911 it would have represented
the death of 108 children only, whereas the number that
actually died was 434. Conversely, if the death rate of
1911 had existed in 1941 the number of deaths under one
year would have been approximately 204 instead of 52.
Since the Hammersmith Hospital assumed responsibility
for the obstetrics service there has been the closest cooperation
between the British Post-Graduate Medical
School and the Borough, with great advantage to the
Maternity and Child Welfare services generally. The
number of babies born in the Hospital during 1941 was 699.
In September, 1919, the first municipal Maternity Home
under the Maternity and Child Welfare Act, 1918, was
established in Hammersmith at Parkside, Ravenscourt
Park, and provided accommodation for 21 mothers and
babies. From that time until the maternity work was
transferred to Hammersmith Hospital in 1926, the number
of children born in the Home was 2,594.
In estimating the number of beds required at Parkside
it was found that 6 per cent, of the Hammersmith babies
were born in institutions. In 1941 this figure equalled
73 per cent., born chiefly in Hammersmith Hospital.