View report page

89
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
In all 1,048 visits were made and on the first visit of the
Inspectors it was found that 790, or 75.4 per cent. were breast-fed
only, while 250, or 24.6 per cent. were otherwise fed. The first visit
was generally made when the infant was about two months old,
when the percentage of breast-fed children would be near the
maximum.
If, however, we take the cases in which the child was breast-fed
but other foods given in addition, we find that the percentage
increases from 75.4 to 89.2.
58 or 5.5 per cent. were fed on cows' milk only, but 17 had in
addition some kind of food, raising the percentage to 7.3.
22 had condensed milk only and 10 had condensed milk and food,
a total of 32, or 3 per cent., while four infants were fed on
farinaceous food only.
34 of these children died, and 311 ineffectual visits were made.
The number of ineffectual visits inade shows the migratory habits
of the people in the selected areas. In a considerable number of
these cases the parents had removed shortly after the birth of the
child, and their residences could not be ascertained.
In several cases wrong addresses were given to the Registrar,
and these were forwarded to him to deal with.
With reference to Table XLIV, which shows the number of
cases re-visited, it may be here stated that 110 comparison can be made
between the numbers found to be breast-fed in this and the previous
Table, as a large proportion of the second visits were made in cases
where it was known that the children were otherwise fed to ascertain
if the instructions previously given with regard to feeding had been
carried out by the mother.
In the three selected areas 170 infants were re-visited. 109 of
these were breast-fed when first visited, and at the second visit, made
when the child was from six to eight months old, 82 were still breastfed.
Of the 27 infants whose diet had been altered, and in the majority
of cases, the mothers were following the directions given on the
circular published in last year s Report.