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37
REPORT OF THE WOMAN INSPECTOR.
To the Medical Officer of Health.
Sir,
The work done during the year 1909, with regard to the attempts to
lessen infant mortality, has been carried on mainly on the same general linesas
fully described in my five previous reports. In accordance with vour
wishes, natural feeding for infants, Up to about 9 months of age, has been our
watchword, and the principle chiefly instilled, both in the written and verbal
advice given to the mothers, both from the Town Hall and from the School for
Mothers.
Last year (1908), in order to assist in a special widespread inquirv suggested
by the Home Office (on the subject of the employment, &c., of women, both
before and after the birth of the child), every single home where a birth had
occurred, in the particular district of Somers Town included in Ward VI.
(East), was visited, and the mother and baby having been seen an Inquirv
form was filled in. This first visit was paid when the baby was from 6 weeks
to 8 weeks of age, as soon as possible after the birth had been registered (since
the Early Notification of Births was not in force in St. Pancras at the beginning
of the year 1908, when the Home Office Inquiry was started).
Then during the year 1909 each of these homes was again visited, on or
within a few days of the day that the baby was 12 months old, so that as
complete a history as possible might be ascertained of the first year of life.
In many instances intermediate visits had been paid, so that the progress of
the little one might be watched where danger was likely to arise, either from
the ill-health of the mother or baby or from the poverty-stricken condition of
the home. At the final visit at 12 months it was found, as expected, that in
many cases the family had removed; and though in some instances of these
removals the baby was able to be traced, yet in others no clue could be
obtained.
A brief summary of these births visited in Ward VI. is as follows :—
Births occurring during 1908 in Ward YI. 077
" Removed" at primary visit 4.5
" Not known " at primary visit 24
" Removed" at final visit (at 12 months) 184*
" Dead " within the 12 months 68‡
Complete history (during the 12 months) obtained 3566
Of those found "removed" at final visit many details had previously been
obtained.
‡There may have been other deaths amongst those who were not traced at final
visit.
A full report of the Home Office Inquiry, with four Summary Tables, and
details on working sheets is herewith appended.