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60
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
Institutions for Expectant and Nursing Mothers and
Young Children.
The Streatham Babies' Hospital, 39, Riggindale Road, is for
the treatment of infants up to the age of five years. There are
18 cots, and the nursing staff consists of matron, a sister, two
assistant nurses, and three probationers. A visiting medical officer
attends daily. The parents pay 10/6 per week for their children,
but necessitous cases are admitted free, or at a reduced fee, according
to circumstances.
Medical practitioners can recommend cases for admission and
attend them while in the Hospital.
95 infants were admitted in 1923, 48 from addresses in the
Borough and 47 from outside the Borough. Most of the cases
were infants suffering from marasmus, enteritis, bronchitis, and
allied diseases.
The Borough Council pay an annual grant of £500 to this
Hospital under their maternity and child welfare scheme.
There is one other large institution in the Borough for the
accommodation of 60 children up to the age of five years.
There are five institutions or hostels in the Borough for the
reception of expectant unmarried mothers, all in connection with
rescue work. In two of them the mothers are admitted some
months previous to the confinement, while in three they are
admitted towards the end of pregnancy. In most of these homes
the mothers are expected to remain some months after confinement.
236 women were admitted into these institutions during the
year. Some of the infants attend the most convenient Infant
Welfare Centre.
Arrangements have been made for a medical man to attend
at each hostel when necessary.