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34
CARE OF PREMATURE INFANTS.
Premature Babies.
Arrangements have been made for premature infants born in
hospitals or at home to be notified to the Medical Officer of Health
each week to enable the Health Visitors to follow them up when
they return home.
(1) Number of premature babies notified during 1949 who were
born—
(i) at home 62
(ii) in hospital or nursing home 108
(2) The number of those born at home—
who were nursed entirely at home 57
who died during the first 24 hours —
who survived at the end of one month 54
(3) The number of those born in private nursing
homes—
who died during the first 24 hours 1
who survived at the end of one month 11
MATERNITY AND INFANT WELFARE CONSULTATIONS
There are 20 Maternity and Infant Welfare Centres. A total
of 29 sessions per week are held and at these a doctor and one, or,
if necessary, two health visitors, attend.
During 1949, 3,397 new cases under 1 year of age and 870 over
1 year of age attended for the first time; the total of attendances of
infants and young children from 0—5 years decreased from 94,312
in 1948, to 85,591 in 1949. Consultations with doctors decreased
from 28,810 to 25,602. 29 expectant mothers were seen, a decrease
of 27 on 1948, and a total of 172 visits to the Centres was paid by
them. The total of all visits to the Centres was 85,763, a decrease
of 8,765 compared with 1948.
The table on page 35 gives detailed figures for the separate
Centres and sessions.