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Hospital provision for confinement has become quite inadequate
to deal with the women seeking a hospital bed because of
unsuitable home conditions, while it is true that the women requiring
hospitalisation for some medical reason may still be
accommodated. This inadequate provision of maternity bed
accommodation is a general problem throughout the country at
the present time.
The Council's scheme to deal with the premature child
(Ministry of Health Circular 174/44) was given in full in the
report for 1944. 28 infants were recorded as premature (birth
weight 5½ pounds or less) and born at home and 32 born in
hospital (Willesden cases— born at Willesden Maternity Hospital).
Of these born at home 20 were nursed entirely at home, one
died during the first twenty-four hours and 17 survived at the
end of one month. Of the 32 Willesden cases in Willesden
Maternity Hospital 4 died during the first twenty-four hours and
26 survived at the end of one month.
The arrangements with the Middlesex County Council continued
throughout the year for Unmarried Mothers (Ministry of
Health Circular No. 2866), 3 cases being dealt with.
The Day Nurseries continue to provide an important service,
firstly, of benefit to the children themselves and secondly, releasing
the mothers for employment and solving difficulties in illness,
or, for example, at the birth of another child. 7 Nursery Nurses
received the Diploma of the National Society of Children's
Nurseries. There was throughout the year considerable difficulty
in maintaining sufficient staff for the Nurseries. This was
especially so with regard to Wardens and with the present acute
shortage of Teachers for the Education Authority it is difficult to
foresee the provision of proper Warden personnel for the
Nurseries.
The Mayor received a gift, of toys from the people of
Australia which he shared amongst the Nurseries. This generous
gift was very much appreciated.
The incidence of the infectious diseases in the Nurseries has
again been tabulated so that in due course some answer may be
given to the criticism that the Nurseries may have an undue
influence in the spread of the infections. That 5 members of the
staff contracted infective hepatitis (jaundice) without there being
any subsequent case amongst the Nursery children is further
evidence that to this disease the young child seems less prone
than the school-child.
D. The delegation to the Borough in accordance with the
Education Act, 1944, of the School Health Services gave an
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