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1933] 18
Dinners to necessitous mothers and children were increased during the year
from 1509 to 1793. The cost to the Centre's Benevolent Fund is 7d. for a mother's
dinner and 3d. for a child's. The benefit of these dinners is very obvious, for a mother
who is below par on account of lack of proper nourishment undoubtedly has this
reflected on her child.
As regards the nutrition of the babies, six scales were lent out 101 times in
the homes to show the result of test feeds. In 45 instances complementary feeding
was shown to be required, in 42 the breast feeding was shown to be sufficient, 9
cases were weaned, and in 5 cases the scales were still in use. In 86 per cent, of the
cases the records kept by the mothers were satisfactory.
North Centre Welfare Wards : With the exception of the period at the end of
July and the beginning of August, when the wards were closed for quarantine
following a case of whooping cough, these wards functioned throughout the year.
The beds for children under two years number 12, and the beds for mothers and
their babies, 6, a total of 18. The number of mothers with babies resident, that
is, for treatment of the baby, to March 31st, 1933, was 43. The number of babies
resident alone was 89, and the number of mothers admitted for their own treatment
was 42.
The possession of Wards by this Centre is of value, not only on account of the
work done as regards the health of those admitted, but in respect of the mothers
—there is the educational influence. The wards also are the training school for
students and pupils. The course on "Infant Care" lasts from three to six months,
and a certificate is given to students at the conclusion in regard to attendance
and satisfactory work.
South Centre.—In the medical reports for this Centre and its Branches
it is recorded that a greater number of cases have been referred to the Ante-natal
Clinic by midwives practising in the district.
The Branch Clinic at "The Rose," which, at the time the medical report was
written, had been opened for about eighteen months, has shown a slightly, but
steadily, increased number of attendances. At this and the other Centres the
advantage of the early seeking of ante-natal advice is stressed—so much more can
be done if any difficulty or weakness is discovered at an early stage. The postnatal
cases form a fairly large proportion of the numbers at this clinic. It was
hoped in time to persuade each mother to come up for a routine examination six weeks
after confinement unless she had been seen elsewhere.
The facilities available at the main Centre—when on occasion the mother
may have an opportunity of leaving a baby in the Centre garden under skilled care
for a whole morning on three days of the week, are a tremendous help to the mother
who has no garden at home or has other children to take to a hospital or treatment
Centre.
The advantage of the exercise of crawling before walking might be better
known to mothers. A clean place in which to crawl is, of course, essential; the
exercise obviously strengthens the legs without putting all the weight of the body
on the leg bones, and when the time comes and baby can bear his weight on his
legs, the muscles are more fit.