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16
Few women realize that it is necessary for them to learn how to feed and look
after a baby; how to do the best for it. The general idea is that a knowledge of
these things is born in a woman. Unfortunately it is not so, and because it is not,
many children have been and are being sacrificed.
That ignorance and thoughtlessness are elements in the causation of infantile
mortality was recognized by the Council of the Borough some years ago, and in
addition to recognizing, their duty in connection with sanitation, as this annual
report is designed to show, they considered it also to be their duty to try to combat
these.
To this end, they appointed three specially trained women inspectors and health
visitors, Miss Baker, Miss Johnson and Miss Stokes, and arranged that a considerable
part of their time should be given to what is known as " baby work."
This means getting into touch with mothers, especially young mothers, as soon as
possible after the baby is born; visiting the homes; meeting the mothers; talking to
them about babies, encouraging them, advising them, and teaching them.
In carrying out this work, the Council and the Public Health Department have
received the greatest amount of assistance from the voluntary Health Workers of the
Marylebone Health Society and the Infant Consultations, Clubs, and so on, which
have been organised by that Society.
In previous reports, very full descriptions have been given of the Consultations,
the Mothers' Clubs and the Provident Clubs for expectant mothers, and as there is
included in this a copy of a special return with regard to them made to the Medical
Officer of the Local Government Board (Dr. Newsholme), who is carrying out an
enquiry into the whole subject of infantile mortality; it will be sufficient at this point
to give some figures indicating the work done in 1912.
In the case of the Northern Consultation, held at the Portman Club, Church
Street, the number of babies seen by the two doctors, Dr. Christine Murrell and Dr.
Emily Mecredy, was 243. The total attendances were 1921.
At the Southern Consultation, held at the Marylebone General Dispensary,
Welbeck Street (Dr. Eric Pritchard and Dr. Lane Claypon), 177 babies were seen,
and there were 1,099 attendances.
The Mothers' Club in the North, at which lectures and demonstrations are given,
was attended by 148 mothers, that in the South by 50 mothers.
So far as visits to the homes of babies are concerned, the number paid by the
voluntary workers of the Health Society was 615. The visits by the women
inspectors numbered 3519.
Births Investigations.—In the following Table V, the information obtained by
the women inspectors at their visits to houses in which births have been notified as
occurring, under the Notification of Births Act, 1907, is summarized.
With regard to this table it may be noted that even after the first and second
month, by far the greater number of the babies are fed on breast milk only. This is
most encouraging, and though in many cases mothers themselves resort to breast
feeding because it is cheaper and less troublesome, in others they do so because they
are encouraged thereto by the women inspectors and other health visitors.
Infant Deaths.—Tables VI and VII relate to investigations made by the
inspectors into cases of deaths of infants under one year old. The total number of
deaths inquired into was 97.