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137
is such as will supply to expectant mothers those articles of diet
which are found to be so often deficient, e.g., milk, egg yolk, green
vegetables and fresh fruit.
The meals are prepared and cooked in the Central Feeding
Centre of the Local Education Authority, and transported in
insulated containers to the two infant welfare centres at Park House
and Leyton Green, where arrangements have been made for the
meals to be consumed, between noon and 1 p.m. Since the scheme
has been in operation some 209 meals have been provided to 6
expectant mothers.
Report by Dr. Menzies.
These six expectant mothers attended for varying periods of
time. Four were regular in their attendance and apparently
appreciated the meals provided, as they continued to attend every
day (except Sunday) for 2-3 months. The remaining two were
unsatisfactory. One attended for two days only, and failed to
attend for the remainder of the week, although she was visited
and promised to re-attend. The reason she gave was that she
could not make arrangements for her only child of 12 months ;
but as each mother is allowed to bring one young child with her,
this cannot be accepted as the main reason. A second mother
attended for two weeks only, and although she appeared to enjoy
the meals she said it was too far for her to attend the clinic every
day. She was then six months pregnant and had no obvious
physical abnormality. She had three children, but her husband
was said to be willing to look after them while the mother was out.
It is admittedly unsatisfactory to take the mother away from
her home at the time when her husband and children are returning
for their mid-day meal, and it may be possible at a future date to
provide the meal at an hour more convenient to the mothers. One
or two mothers have suggested that if the meal was given at II a.m.
it would be possible for them to take advantage of it. The difficulty
of arranging this is that at one of the two centres, the room is in
use for clinics on certain mornings of the week.
From October until the end of the year the clinic medical
officer suggested the necessity for meals to 16 expectant mothers,
of the 16, only 4 accepted the offer of meals and attended regularly.