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7
There is no doubt that a great many deaths among children
are due to ignorance of mothers on the problems of feeding and
general care of their infants. The visits of Health Visitors and
the Infant Welfare Clinics are designed to help and assist the
mothers on these points.
Again, a considerable number of infants are prematurely
born or are born so weakly as to seriously jeopardise their chance
of life. The Ante-Natal Clinic, where expectant mothers may
attend and obtain advice, is established to prevent the wastage
of infant life which results from ante-natal conditions.
The Notification of Births Act, which was made compulsory
for the whole of England and Wales in September, 1915, provides
for the notification to the Medical Officer of Health of any
birth occurring within his district within 36 hours of the birth.
Formerly he had to rely on the registrars' weekly returns, and as
a birth need not be registered for six weeks it was no uncommon
occurrence to receive the registration of the birth and the death of
an infant in the same week.
Now our Health Visitors pay their first visit to a newly born
infant 10 days after its birth. We have now four full-time and
one part-time Health Visitors, which brings our number up to
that required by the Local Government Board, viz., one Health
Visitor to 400 births.
And we are able to look after all children up to five years
of age, when they come under the supervision of the School
Medical Service.
Our first Infant Welfare Clinic was started in February,
1917, and is held every Friday afternoon at the Town Hall.
A second Clinic was started at the People's Hall, Harrow
Green, in May, 1917, and is held on Tuesday afternoons. The
necessity for yet a third was recognised, and this was opened
on 2nd October, 1918, at the Hall in connection with the Baptist
Church in Vicarage Road. It is held on Wednesday afternoons.