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MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
The scheme as a whole has continued to expand throughout
the year and increased attendances are recorded at all
the centres.
The ladies of the Voluntary Association have continued
to give much valuable help at the centres. The work which
they do in this respect and in the organisation of the supply
of milk and accessory foods is greatly appreciated by the
mothers, and also relieves the Council of considerable expense
in the saving of staff.
Infant Welfare Centres.
In 1936 there were 17,004 attendances of children at the
three centres as compared with 16,712 in 1935 and 12,000
five years ago. Children under one'year of age made 9,129
attendances and children over one year made 7,875. The
number of examinations made by the doctor during the year
was 6,685. The average attendance per session was 48.
Ante-Natal Clinic.
There has been another marked increase in the number
of women attending during the year, the total being 319
as compared with 234 in 1935 and 159 in 1934. The total
attendances were 1,192 as compared with 773 in 1935.
The number of mothers who attended the clinic during
the year was equal to 37% of the total registered births,
live and dead.
Maternity Accommodation.
The Registrar-General has allocated 858 births (833 live
and 25 stillbirths) to the Borough for the year, while the
Public Health Department had knowledge of only 795. It
would appear that the discrepancy, which occurs every year,
is due to the fact that a number of births which belong to
Finchley, and which take place outside the Borough, are
transferred to the Borough without our knowledge.
Of the 795 births known to the Department, 326 took
place in hospitals outside the Borough — 125 at Wellhouse,
60 at the North Middlesex Hospital, and 141 at various
London hospitals.
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