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75
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
Notification of Births.
Confusion sometimes exists between notification
and registration of births. The figures below refer,
unless otherwise specified, to notifications received
under the Notification of Births (Extension) Act, 1915,
which requires that all births should be notified to the
Medical Officer of Health of the district concerned,
within 36 hours of their occurrence. This duty is in
addition to and not in substitution of registration of
births, which must be made within six weeks of birth.
I regret to say that in many instances the practice of
prompt notification is not carried out. Attention has
on various occasions been called to this. It will readily
be observed that without the information required by
this Act being in our possession at an early date, it is
impossible to arrange for newly born babies to be visited
as soon as the midwife concerned has finished with her
case.
1,801 notifications of live births were received during
the year.
241 notifications (including stillbirths) were received
from medical practitioners and parents, and 1,191 from
midwives.
Information was received of 435 births outside this
afea. The following list shows where most of these
occurred:— East End Maternity Hospital 207, Oldchurch
Hospital 90, Charing Cross Hospital 46, PlaistoW
Maternity Hospital 24, Queen Mary's Hospital, Stratford
15.