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MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
The composition of the Maternity and Child Welfare Scheme now in existence
has been very frequently described in annual reports and more particularly in that
for 1919. As is well known, it contains voluntary and official elements. Of the
voluntary elements, to the nature of which reference is made later, those for
which the St. Marylebone Health Society is responsible bulk largest, and the
Council and the inhabitants of the Borough are greatly indebted to this body and
those who work for it for what they have done and what they are doing in
relation to maternity and child welfare.
Apart from the Health Society, however, there are other bodies that assist, and
that are more or less definitely linked up to the main scheme, the connecting link
being the Public Health Department of the Council. Amongst these bodies maybe
mentioned Queen Charlotte's Hospital and Middlesex Hospital, which in addition
to providing lying-in accommodation, arrange for attention to be given to out door
patients as well, and conduct ante-natal clinics and infant consultations. At the
Western General Dispensary the special clinic for children under Dr. Bernard Myers
does most useful work. Less definitely part of the scheme, but still doing very
valuable work and helping whenever possible, are St. Agatha's Home, The Home
of the Little Company of Mary, and The Home of the St. Marylebone Female
Protection Society, where unmarried mothers particularly are provided for, both
before and after the birth of their child. A special feature is made at St. Agatha's
of keeping the mother and child together for at least three to six months after the
birth, and of endeavouring to arrange that they shall be together after leaving the
home. On several occasions places on the domestic staff of one or other of the
institutions—Day nurseries, for example—within the scheme, have been found for
mothers from the home.
The following summaries give a number of details with regard to the arrangements
under the scheme and of the extent of the work done during 1923. It will be
noted that at the end of the year there were available nine centres where attention
was given to infant and child welfare, and if those at the hospitals are included four
ante-natal clinics. At some of the centres consultations are held every day, sometimes
twice a day. In addition to the ordinary infant and young child ("toddlers")
consultations, there is a dental clinic for mothers and young children, open on four
days, for two of which the Health Society is responsible. By arrangement with the