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27
There are two Welfare Centres, one at Erith and
one at Belvedere, and the Antenatal Clinic is held at the
Offices of the Medical Officer of Health. Each of these
is open once a week when a Lady Medical Officer with
a large experience of such work attends.
Notification of Births.
During 1919, 614 births were notified as occurring
iu the district, viz., 332 males and 282 females. The
number of births registered in the district during the
fifty-two weeks ended December 27th, .1919, was 597,
viz., 314 males and 283 females. The Registrar-General
has supplied the correct figures for the year, after
allowing for transferable births, and these are 347
males, 323 females, total 670. Of these 15 males and
22 females, a total of 37, were illegitimate.
Early in 1919 it was found from returns supplied
by the Registrar of Births that there were a number of
births which had not been notified in accordance with
the requirements of the Act. Several persons were
prosecuted for failure to notify, but as these were the
first prosecutions undertaken by the Council the cases
were not pressed, and were dismissed on payment of
costs. The result was good, as there was a distinct
improvement in the notifications, both as to number and
the interval allowed to lapse after the birth before
notification.
Houses where births have occurred are visited by
the Health Visitors usually after the 10th day. but
earlier in cases where there appears to be any reason for
doing so such as the notification of Ophthalmia.
As a rule they are well received, and are able to be
of some assistance to the mothers.
The time of their second and subsequent visits
depends on the conditions found at the first visit, some
cases requiring visits at shorter intervals than others.
Mothers are encouraged to bring their children to the
Welfare Centres, and advice is given as to. clothing and
feeding them, and as to the care the mothers should take
of their own health.