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Report of the Medical Officer of Health. 69
Creches.
There are four creches in the Borough—Putney, Balham,
Tooting and Wandsworth. Children are admitted whose mothers
are obliged to go out to work, or who are ill, or who for any other
reasonable cause are unable to look after their children.
The creches are voluntary institutions subsidised by grants
from the Borough Council and the Board of Education. The
parents' payments vary from 8d. to Is. per head, a reduction being
made when more than one child from the same family is admitted.
The Putney and Wandsworth Day Nurseries are also training
schools for nurses who intend to take up creche work. They are
admitted as probationers and serve a term of six months, receiving
not only practical training but also theoretical. The matrons
give courses of lectures, which the probationers are bound to
attend, and an examination is held at the end of the course. 132
inspections of the creches were made during the year by the Health
Visitors, who represent the Medical Officer of Health on the Committees.
The attendances were:—In Putney, 5,477; in Balham, 6,511;
in Tooting, 4,099; and in Wandsworth, 5,898; a total of 21,985,
a decrease of 3,422 compared with 1921.
Dental Treatment.
In May, 1919, the arrangements made by the Council with the
British Dentists' Hospital, Clapham Common, came into force.
61 cases (46 women and 15 children) availed themselves of the
opportunity to have dental treatment, and 79 attendances (61
women and 18 children) were made during the year.
Two women had dentures supplied to them.
The medical officer at each Infant Welfare Centre examines
carefully the teeth of the mothers and children, and recommends
treatment when necessary.