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15
East Ward. Deducting these, the infantile mortality of the North
East Ward was 44 per 1,000 births.
Although the infantile mortality of the South West Ward is
higher, it shows even a greater improvement than that of the other
wards.
Health Visiting. During the year, 779 of the births were
visited by the Health Visitors, and 8463 visits were paid to the homes
of the children.
In addition, 225 expectant mothers were visited, and 454
re-visits were paid in respect of this service. It has been explained
that the Council does not distribute free milk as a routine proceedure;
only in exceptional circumstances is milk provided free. An
arrangement was made with the Guardians for the distribution
of dried milk at two pence a packet under cost to children under 3
years of age.
The Council, in exceptional circumstances, distributes free
milk to expectant mothers, and last year 40 expectant mothers were
supplied with 414 packets of dried milk.
Maternal Mortality. A reference to Table III will show
that 7 deaths of women occurred in child-birth-2 from Puerperal
Sepsis and 5 from other accidents and diseases of pregnancy and
parturition.
Considerable attention has been paid in the past year to this
important matter and the Ministry of Health issued a Circular
to local authorities dealing with the question of Maternal Mortality
associated with childbearing. The Circular was based upon Dame
Janet Campbell's report on Maternal Mortality which was publi
hed earlier in the year. This was the third report by Dr. Janet
Campbell on the subject of Maternal Mortality, and dealt with the
general subject of the causes of an excessive maternal mortality
and the means of its reduction. Sir George Newman in his prefatory
note to the report summarizes its outstanding features as
follows:—
1.-Matornal Mortality is relatively excessive in England and Wales
In respect of the proportion of Maternal Mortality, England and Wales
compares unfavourably with Germany, Norway, Italy, Sweden and
Holland.
2.-Since 1902, Maternal Mortality has not declined proportionately
in the same degree as the general death-rate or the infantile
mortality. The child-bearing mother is not sharing equally with the
rest of the population in the improved public health.
3.—The risks to women in their first confinements are greater
than in most subsequent confinements.
4.—The decline in the birth-rate has exerted a relatively small
effect upon the degree of maternal mortality.