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Maternity and Child Welfare.
57
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 10s. 6d. 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.
79 infants were admitted in 1924, 48 from addresses in the
Borough and 31 from outside the Borough. Most of the cases
were infants suffering from Marasmus, Enteritis, Pneumonia,
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.
Arrangements have been made for a medical man to attend
at each hostel when necessary, and some of the infants attend
the most convenient Infant Welfare Centre.
Convalescent Homes.
During the year 25 mothers were sent to Convalescent Homes,
22 of them taking their infants with them. Three other children
were also sent. Both mothers and children derived much benefit
from the change of air.