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15
Now it is found that in many instances the date of the birth of the
child as given by the person registering the birth differ from the date
notified to the Medical Officer of Health.
Each of the three Registrars of the Borough informs the Medical
Officer of Health that frequently the date given by the person registering
the birth varies from that which is returned to him by the Medical Officer
of Health. In some cases the Registrar by calling attention to the date
which appeared on the notification of birth card supplied by the Public
Health Department is able to register the date previously given to the
Medical Officer of Health, but in others the person registering the birth
will not admit any mistake ; hence the Registrar has no option but to
enter the date which must obviously be incorrect, as there can be no
doubt that the date on the notification birth card is the more correct as it
is posted within 36 hours after the birth.
The probable explanation is, the parents give the wrong date of the
births, as they fail to register such births within six weeks, as required by
the Registration Act, and thereby avoid the penalty.
There can be no doubt the adoption of the Notification of Births Act
and the sending to the Registrars copies of the filled-in form which is sent
weekly to the London County Council assists the Registrars in registering
the correct date of the birth.
Health Visitor and Poplar Health Visiting Association.
Miss A. E. Hall, of Bradford, was appointed by the Council to be the
" Health Visitor." A card system was arranged to enable the Health
Visitor to keep records of the births.
Steps were taken to form an Association of voluntary helpers to act
with Miss Hall, a course which the Local Government Board approved
when sanctioning the adoption of the Notification of Births Act in the
Borough on the Council agreeing to appoint a Health Visitor.!
* See Health Visitor's Report (page 250).
t Since the appointment of Miss Hall, the London County Council (General Powers)
Act, 1908, has been passed, giving power to Sanitary Authorities to appoint Health
Visitors:—
6 (1) Any sanitary authority may on or at any time after the first day of
January one thousand nine hundred and nine appoint suitable women (to be known