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1927 18
In consequence of the extended accommodation at the new buildings, the
Branch Centre at the Highgate Presbyterian Church's Mission Hall, Elthorne
Road, N., has been given up.
"Health Week."—During "Health Week" flags, provided by the Borough
Council, were distributed to those attending the centre. Special talks during
the week were given at the Centre, attention being concentrated on the subjects
of " Fresh Air and Sunlight."
South Centre.—The routine work of this Centre might be summarised thus:
Ten sessions are held each week for children under five years old; three sessions
are held each fortnight for expectant and ailing mothers, and, in addition, one
dental session per fortnight. There is also, of course, the home visitation
work, and mothers and babies are sent away for convalescence to Clephane
Cottage, Flamstead, Bedfordshire. This cottage was open from the 1st March
to the 29th November, 1927, and during that time 77 mothers and 79 babies
stayed there—70 mothers and 71 babies came from the South Centre and 7
mothers and 8 babies from other Centres. Through the kindness of Miss Fleetwood
and others, the Centre sent 43 children between the ages of three and five
years for a stay of four to six weeks at Miss Fleetwood's house at the seaside.
In addition, a number of cases were dealt with by means of convalescent home
letters, the total result was that 211 of the Centre's mothers and children were
sent away.
A Building Fund has been started, for the Centre Committee finds that
the Centre has outgrown the accommodation, and they hope to solve their housing
problem as modestly as possible. The policy has been to bring the work near
to the mothers' homes by means of Branches in different parts of the district,
but the central building to co-ordinate the work has now to be re-adapted.
In connection with the maternal mortality, one of the Medical Officers of the
Centre reports that "the chief difficulty is in bringing home to prospective
mothers in the district the necessity for early examination and advice, so
that they may keep in good health during the ante-natal period and that their
children may have the best possible start in life." In view of the renewed
interest taken in ante-natal treatment and its bearing upon possible mortality of
both mother and child, the importance of expectant mothers placing themselves
under observation at the clinic cannot be too greatly stressed.
"Health Week. —I he doctors at the Centres and Branches gave special
talks on the "Health Week" subjects, "Sunlight and Fresh Air," and, as at
the other Centres, flags were distributed.
East Centre.—At this Centre a special department for observation and
test feeding has been started, to which any baby who is not doing well may
be brought for the day, or, if necessary, for several) days, the mother taking the
child home at night. This gives the Superintendent the opportunity of carefully
watching the children and of giving the mothers any necessary advice.
The primary clinic for examination of the children is held on Wednesdays. At
this clinic, apart from Test Feeding and teaching, an effort is made to
help suitable mothers to restore the flow of breast milk and thus be able successfully
to nurse their infants. The Medical Officer reports it is scarcely possible
to over-estimate the value of such an Observation Clinic in this respect. " It is
like making two blades of grass to grow where only one grew before—or where
none grew—and it has a far-reaching importance, out of all proportion to what
would appear on the surface. It is not only the benefit to the individual babies,