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72 Report of the Medical Officer of Health for 1937.
38 inspections of the creches were made during the year by
the Health Visitors.
Institutions for Expectant and Nursing Mothers and
Young Children.
The Council pays an annual grant to the Streatham Babies'
Hospital, 9, Leigham Court Road, which is a small hospital containing
20 cots for the treatment of infants up to the age of five
years. The staff consists of a Matron, one Sister, two Assistant
Nurses and three Probationers. A Visiting Medical Officer attends
daily. The standard fee is 10s. 6d. per week, but necessitious
cases are admitted free, or at a reduced fee, according to circumstances.
Medical practitioners can recommend children for admission
and are allowed to attend them while in the Hospital.
108 infants were admitted in 1937, 70 from addresses in the
Borough and 38 from outside the Borough. Most of the cases
were infants suffering from Nutritional Diseases, Debility, Respiratory
Diseases, Nervous Diseases and Enteritis.
There is one other large institution in the Borough which
accommodates 60 children up to the age of five years.
There are also five institutions or hostels 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 medical practitioners to attend
at these hostels when necessary, and some of the infants attend
the most convenient Infant Welfare Centre.
The Council pays grants to the Southwark Diocesan Association
for Preventive and Rescue Work, towards the maintenance
of unmarried mothers usually resident in the Borough in the