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also appointed during the year but did not take up her duties
till January of the following year. Each Health Visitor has a
particular part of the Borough allotted to her for home visiting.
Under the Notification of Births Acts, early information is
received in the Health Department of births which have taken place,
and when the doctor or midwife has ceased to attend, a call is made
by the Health Visitor, who thus has an early opportunity of advising
the mother in regard to the feeding, clothing and general
management of the infant. Every encouragement is given the mother
to attend an Infant Welfare Centre. Three or four visits are paid
during the first year of the infant's life, and afterwards, at longer
intervals, until the child reaches the age of five years.
The Health Visitors' duties also comprise visits to expectant
mothers, enquiries into cases of puerperal fever and ophthalmia
neonatorum, infant deaths, and applications under the milk assistance
scheme.
Each Health Visitor attends the Voluntary Infant Welfare Centre
in her district, and takes her turn in attending the Municipal Clinics.
The work carried out by these officers during the year is
summarised below:—
Infants under 1 year of age:—
First visits 2,836
Subsequent visits 6,989
Infants between 1 and 5 years of age:—
Total visits 12,621
Expectant mothers:—
First visits 934
Subsequent visits 363
Infant death enquiries 91
Still-birth enquiries 83
Visits to Puerperal Fever cases 20
Visits to Ophthalmia Neonatorum cases 57
Visits to Measles cases 585
Visits to other Infectious cases 483
Miscellaneous visits 970
Ineffectual calls 3,629
Attendances at Centres:—
Municipal 695
Voluntary 786