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24
THE ST. PANCRAS PREVENTIVE SCHEME.
The St. Pancras preventive scheme of infantile mortality is briefly as
follows :—
1. Notification of Births.—From these are selected the most suitable cases
to visit, commencing with the poorest houses in the poorest streets.
2. Advice Cards to Mothers.—A copy of the Advice Card is sent to the
mother of every newly.born child as soon as the birth is notified. Supplies of
these cards are also sent to medical practitioners, hospitals, dispensaries, and
mid wives for distribution.
3. Medical Advice.—In cases where mothers are suffering from disease they
are referred to doctors, hospitals, and dispensaries, and where mothers are in
need of extra food and milk to continue breast.feeding they are referred to
religious and charitable organisations, and especially to the St. Pancras School
for Mothers.
During the year, as previously, the work of the Woman Inspector in
advising expectant mothers and in correcting defective and improper feeding
has been supplemented by assistance received from a number of lady voluntary
visitors. The St. Pancras Mothers' and Infants' Society, supported by
voluntary contributions and voluntary workers, with its SCHOOL FOR
MOTHERS at 37, Chalton Street, Somers Town, supplements the municipal
work, and is doing a great good in the southern part of the Borough. On
the 4th September, 1909, the Local Government Board issued an Order
with respect to the qualification, duties, &c., of Health Visitors under the
London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1908, which empowers the
Borough Councils to appoint suitable women for the purpose of giving to
persons advice as to the proper nurture, care and management of young
children, and the promotion of cleanliness. The Act of 1908 enables the
County Council to pay out of the County Fund any sum by way of contribution
towards the salary of a Health Visitor appointed under the regulations,
not exceeding in any case one.half the amount.
During the year under review the Chief Medical Officer of the Local
Government Board issued a complete report upon the subject of infant and
child mortality. Amongst the remedies recommended are :—A more detailed
investigation of all deaths occurring in infancy as a guide to administrative
action ; inquiries into the circumstances attending still-births ; the adequate
training of midwives ; the efficient administration of the Midwives Act; the
adoption of the Notification of Births Act; and the making of arrangements
for the giving of instruction on infant hygiene But the foremost means of
securing a low infant mortality are:—Efficient domestic and municipal
sanitation and housing, and intelligent and painstaking motherhood. There
is much machinery which has already been devised to meet this last-mentioned
end, including paid and voluntary women health visitors, schools for mothers,
consultation centres for mothers, infant milk depots, and in some of the
London Boroughs nursing and expectant mothers are able to avail themselves
of the opportunities provided by philanthropic bodies of obtaining meals at
trivial cost. Moreover, much assistance has been given in the same direction
through such legislative enactments as the Notification of Births Act and
the Midwives Act.