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50
SECTION 4.
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
The Council's Scheme under the Maternity and Child Welfare
Act, 1918, has been extended during the year.
The use of the Artificial Sunlight Clinic, working in co-operation
with the Infant Welfare Clinics, is already being attended with good
results.
During the latter part of last year an attempt was made to
reorganise this section of the department by putting into operation
a number of reforms long overdue, although certain existing
difficulties had continued to prevent their adoption. An improvement
in the position generally was obvious by the end of the year.
REGISTRATION AND NOTIFICATION OF BIRTHS.
By the Registration Act, 1836, all live births must be registered
within a period of six weeks.
The actual number of live births within the district during
the year was 712, the net total of 710 being obtained by adjustment
of inward and outward transfers, etc.
The births registered included 345 males and 365 females. There
were 21 illegitimate births, or 2.9 per cent. of the total. In comparison
with 1926, 108 fewer births were registered during the year,
a fall equivalent to 13.2 per cent.
By the Notification of Births Act, all live births and still-births
of seven months and over are required to be notified to the Medical
Officer of Health within 36 hours. Of the toal live births all except
38 or 5.3 per cent. were notified. In addition 2 still births were not
notified.