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of the Infants' Consultation held in the Priory Schools on Monday
afternoons. These consultations have proved a bigger success
than we had anticipated. The consultations were started primarily
because it was physically impossible for one health visitor to
re-visit more than a small percentage of the births. They were
instituted in November, 1912, in rooms at the Priory Schools
hired from the Education Committee, and during 1913, the Health
Visitor attended 011 48 occasions. During the first three and a-half
months the average weekly attendance of mothers with their
babies was 9, and the weekly average for the year was 21.
The total number of attendances has been 1,024, the highest
number in one afternoon being 57. During the year 18 of the
mothers who attended left the district. Altogether 233 children
have attended, and of this total 3 died; so that the infantile
mortality amongst the infants who attended was 15 per 1,000.
Of course, it is unfair to compare this infantile mortality with
that of the rest of the district, as most of the mothers do not
bring their children until they have reached the age of 1 month,
and last year 39 deaths out of a total of 127 occurred in infants
under the age of 4 weeks. If a comparison be made, it should
be based on the ratio of deaths to the number attending at the
different age-groups, but such a comparison would be of little
value.
The ages of the infants when they commenced attendance
were as follows :—
Under 3 months. 3 to 6 months. 6 to 9 months. 9 to 12 months.
145 29 20 5
1 to 2 years. 2 to 3 year?. 3 to 4 years. 4 to 5 years.
IO 13 65
Although the success of the venture could be stated in figures,
its influence is greater and deeper than such figures would
suggest. One of the Council's Medical Officers is usually in
attendance, and since her appointment Dr. Chubb has attended
on almost every Monday afternoon. Most of the mothers bring
their infants regularly to be weighed, and although no treatment
is carried out, advice is given whenever a child is not making
satisfactory progress, and in that case the mother is referred to her
own doctor.