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Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
65
Hospitals and other Institutions for Expectant and Nursing
Mothers, and Young Children, as In-patients.
The Streatham Babies' Hospital is the only institution of the
kind in the Borough, and infants from any part of the Borough
are admitted. The accommodation consists of 20 cots, including
two isolation cots. The staff consists of a visiting Medical Officer,
matron, sister, two staff nurses (day and night) and three probationers.
There is also one domestic servant.
The minimum charge is 5s. per week. No child is admitted
free except in cases of extreme poverty.
One hundred and seventeen infants passed through the hospital
during the year, the average stay being 37 days.
The complaints from which they suffered were marasmus (47),
debility, malnutrition, gastritis, constipation, enteritis, diarrhoea
and vomiting, colitis, indigestion, bronchitis, pneumonia, prematurity,
congenital heart-disease, insomnia, mongolian cretin,
meningitis, nephritis, septic rash, and congenital syphilis.
Seventy-four cases were discharged in good health, 16 had
improved, and in two cases there was no improvement.
Eleven babies died, four from marasmus, one from marasmus
and meningitis, one from pneumonia and tonsillitis, one from pneumonia
and enteritis, one from pneumonia and influenza, two from
acute enteritis, and one from congenital heart-disease.
Fifty-four of the 117 cases belonged to the Borough (Clapham,
four; Putney, one; Balham, eight; Streatham, 33; Tooting,
seven; and Wandsworth, one). Of these, six died, the causes of
death being marasmus, three; marasmus and meningitis, pneumonia
and influenza, and acute gastritis.
There are three institutions in the Borough for the reception
of expectant unmarried mothers, all in connection with rescue work.
The mothers are received a few months prior to confinement, and
are expected to remain, in one instance at least six months after ;
in the other two the average stay is three months after confinement.
In one home, where the mothers learn glove and stocking making
in the home, seven mothers were received during the year. In
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