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100
during the year 4,523 applications of light were given to 268 children.
Improvement in the children has been general, but the results in some
cases have been little short of marvellous.
A Light Centre has also been established by the Royal College of
St. Katharine, and with the opening of the Poplar Clinic early in 1926.
where another Light Centre has been sanctioned, Poplar will be almost,
if not quite, the best equipped Borough for the application of artificial
sunlight.
The bringing into use of artificial sunlight treatment is, in my
opinion, the greatest advance in public health work of the century.
During the past year or so, efforts have been particularly concentrated
on ante-natal work, and the department works in close touch with
the midwives of the district. An ante-natal clinic, opened in Poplar
in 1924, is now well established and greatly increased attendances are
recorded at Old Ford.
Enquiries are made into all cases of maternal mortality and the
deafhs from these cases during the years 1920 to 1925, were as follows:—
1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925
Sepsis 7 6 3 7 1 5
Other causes 12 10 9 7 4 7
There is no municipal maternity home, but the Guardians have a
lying-in ward in their Institution, and several of the midwives
in the Borough conduct private lying-in homes. Mothers in the
Borough also avail themselves of the East End Mothers' Lying-in
Hospital and other institutions.
The Maternity and Child Welfare Committee make contributions
toward the fees of midwives attending necessitous women. The scale
adopted is as follows : —
From the average weekly income, for the 4 weeks preceding the
birth, is deducted the rent and 5s. for each child under the age of 14
years. If the nett weekly income is under 30s., the sum of 13s. 6d.
is contributed towards the fee of the midwife, and if the income is
between 30s. and 40s., 6s. is contributed. No grant is made if the
income is over 40s. per week, or if maternity benefit is received.
All stillbirths are investigated and a summary of the information
obtained appears on page 108.