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103
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
Herewith we submit to you the report of our work among
infants for the past year.
"We had the help of nine voluntary workers, but only five
worked for any length of time, and we have been able with their
assistance to visit among the poorer families in each Ward of the
Borough, details of which are shown in the subjoined Tables.
"The total number of visits paid, including re-visits and
ineffectual visits was 6,974, the ineffectual visits totalling 1,526,
so many having removed previous to the second visit.
"The number of ineffectual calls was highest in Southfield,
the reason being that many of the young mothers take their children
out as much as possible.
"The total number of visits paid after notification and
registration of births will be found in Table LIV., which also
shows the method of feeding at the first visit, and the number of
ineffectual calls.
"The Notification of Births Act, which came into force in
this Borough in November, 1909, has enabled us to visit infants
earlier than formerly.
"Nearly all the births in Springfield Ward were attended by
midwives, and the notifications in this Ward were very nearly as
numerous as the births registered.
"150 of the infants visited died during the year, their ages
in months at death being shown in Table LVI.
"It will be noticed that the heaviest mortality occurred in
Springfield, where the deaths from Diarrhoea and Enteritis alone
numbered 19. The previous year also the deaths in this Ward were
the most numerous, then the causes were mainly Bronchitis and
Pneumonia.