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13
NOTIFICATION OF BIRTHS.
Although the Infantile death-rate is not so high as it has been
some years, it is, nevertheless, capable of considerable reduction.
With a falling birth-rate it is our bounden duty to conserve
infant life as far as lies in our power; to shield the children from
epidemic diarrhoea and other infectious diseases; and to take all
practicable measures for the prevention of such diseases, and for
promoting hygienic conditions in the feeding of infants.
The machinery for doing this lies to our hand in the Notification
of Births Act, 1907.
I cannot conceive that anyone who has given the matter any
consideration can doubt the value of systematic visitation of the
homes of infants by a capable and experienced woman under the
direction of the Medical Officer of Health.
Such a woman would, inter alia:—
(a) Give instructions to mothers:—
(1) as to the rearing and feeding of infants ;
(2) the importance of cleanliness of utensils used for the
storage of milk, and of the child's bottle.
(3) as to the keeping of food, especially milk.
(4) as to the condition of the house with a view to the
maintenance of cleanliness and ventilation, and the
prevention of any accumulation of filth or other
conditions harmful not only to all the residents, but
especially so to young and delicate children.
(b) Would make inquiry into the causes of deaths of infants
with a view to the removal of any causes which may
have had influence on the infant mortality of the
District ; and, as I would only recommend the employment
of a woman who was qualified as a Sanitary
Inspector, she would, if she had any spare time:—
(c) Assist the Sanitary Inspector by visiting places in which
female labour is carried on, or in which female outwork
is done, etc., etc.
The expense of this would not be prohibitive.
This Act is now in force in over 390 districts with a total population
of over 20,000,000 or upwards of 56 per cent. of the population
of England and Wales; and I would again seriously urge on the
Council the importance of adopting the Act, and thus strengthening
materially what is at present a weak link in their chain of defence
against the lamentable and preventable loss of life which occurs
year after year.
At present, by the courtesy of the Registrar of Births, I am
supplied with a list of births of all children registered ; the houses
are visited and hand-bills giving advice on the feeding of babies