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68
BREAST FEEDING.
The importance of breast feeding in increasing the resistance
of the infant to all forms of disease has been dealt with in previous
reports.
An investigation into the feeding of infants at the end of the
sixth month of life was carried out in cases visited from July to
December. The following percentages were obtained :—
Wholly breast fed 62.5
Partially breast fed 7.7
Entirely artificially fed 29.8
per cent.
DENTAL CLINIC.
A steady expansion in this branch of the work has been taking
place, and during 1926 the attendances of expectant and nursing
mothers and of children referred from the Maternity and Child
Welfare Clinics were as follows:—
(1) Number of children treated .. .. .. .. £0
(2) Number of mothers treated:—
(a) New cases119
(b) Old cases 556
(3) Number of dentures supplied51
Forty-four sessions were held.
Here it must be observed that the aim of the Maternity and Child
Welfare Service is the prevention of the onset of dental caries in
the child, and, for this purpose, the improvement of the health of
the mother and of her diet during pregnancy, the encouragement
of breast feeding and the use of suitable dietaries for the young
child, together with the practice of mouth hygiene, are all factors
which must be dealt with by the Maternity and Child Welfare
staff, in order to bring about an improvement in the structure of
the teeth, and delay in the onset of caries.