View report page

60
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
Infant Visiting.
The total number of visits and re-visits was 9,103, of which
4,521 were first visits, compared with 4,760 in the previous year.
The re-visits numbered 4,582 as against 4,878.
At the first visit 3,668 were entirely breast-fed, 351 were breastfed
supplemented by artificial feeding, and the remainder were
entirely bottle fed.
On re-visiting 2,223 were found to be entirely breast-fed, 1,180
were breast-fed supplemented by artificial feeding, and the remainder
were otherwise fed.
133 of the infants visited died during the year (34 in Clapham,
seven in Putney, 23 in Balham, four in Streatham, 21 in Tooting,
and 44 in Wandsworth).
122 of the infants visited were prematurely born, and 98 were
delicate from birth, 90 twin-births were visited, of whom 10 died.
With regard to the employment of midwives, 1,645 mothers
had employed their services, 776 infants were born in hospital,
maternity homes and other institutions, and two unregistered
women were employed.
In 2,098 births, doctors have been in attendance.
169 children between the ages of one and two years were visited
and 890 were re-visited; 145 children between the ages of two
and five years were visited, and 1,420 were re-visited.
The small number of first visits to children between the ages of
one to two, and two to five years, is due to the fact that most of
them had been already visited as infants. The 169 children under
two years of age, and 145 between the ages of two to five years
were children who had been born elsewhere, and so not previously
known and visited.
The ante-natal work has developed during the last year owing
to the Welfare Centres having ante-natal sessions apart from the
Infant Clinics. The visits totalled 582 as against 491 in 1921.
The sanitary defects found in the houses during visits to the
mothers were all dealt with in the usual way. Cases in which defects
were found were referred to me by the Health Visitors, and, in
addition, 31 intimation notices were served by the two Health
Visitors, who are also Sanitary Inspectors.