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15
The attendance at the Ante-natal clinic increased very largely
last year; the increase in the attendances was relatively much
grates than that of the number of expectant mothers who attended.
The number of expectant mothers was 209 but the total number
of attendances was 448, compared with 193 and 231 respectively
in 1936. The attendance at each session has been gradually getting
larger and it has been decided to have two weekly sessions instead
of one
Nurse Children.
At the end of the year there was 53 children on the register
compared with 39 in 1936 and the same number in 1935. Although
the tatal numbers of nurse children do not vary very materially
from year to year, there are many changes in the personnel both
of the mothers and the children.
We have constantly to call attention to infringements of the
provisions which are now incorporated in sections 206—208 of the
Public Health Act 1936, though in only one instance has the Council
taken proceedings. This was in the case of a person who had two
children under her care and had not given notice. Although a fine
was inflicted, I believe that the sympathy of the court was with
the culprit, because the Council did not allege that the house was
overcrowded or that the foster mother was in any way unsuitable
for the purpose. It is important that notice should be given and
that the children should be Kept under observation unless
the children are brought to the clinic regularly, and periodically
the Health Visitor calls at the house. There is no other method of
supervision. Some resent it, and we suspect that removals from one
district to another do take place without necessary notice being
given in order to escape this supervision. During the year we
received notices from other public health departments that foster
patients had left their areas and it was believed that they had come
here. We have been able to trace them and in most cases they
have expressed regret and plead ignorance. In one instance the
supposed foster parent denied that she received any reward for the
two children who were under her change She was out on every
occasion the health visitor called, and we had no evidence that the
children were kept for reward. We referred the matter to the
R.S.P.C.C., and their inspector also was unable to obtain any
additional evidence.
Out of the 53 children on our list 28 are illegitimate. Some
of these children are sent to the foster as others through the recognised
associations for the care of the unmarried. mother, but in the case
of others the regularity with which certain women receive illegitimate
children from some hospitals makes the circumstances suspicious,
and it has been suggested that information does leak out of certain