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Amongst the 840 visited, a few did not require a second visit ; a certain proportion
have been adequately re-visited, and the rest visited once only. There are
also at least twice as many who have not been visited at all, solely on account of
want of time. I think that this is much to be regretted, for if the work of infant
visiting were carried out in a thoroughly efficient and comprehensive manner, and
an adequate amount of time and trouble were given to each family, very much
better results would be obtained than at present. Re-visiting is now only carried
out in those cases where at the first visit the method of feeding or the condition
of the mother or infant is distinctly unsatisfactory, and obviously requires immediate
attention. To ensure a possibility of good results nearly every case should be visited
periodically, because circumstances may arise which alter the case considerably and
create a much less favourable environment than prevailed at the time of the first
visit.
For example:—
A visit was paid to Mrs. X about a month after the birth of her third child.
The mother was then quite well, the baby was healthy, clean, naturally fed, and as
well cared for as the small and uncertain family income, and the inconveniences of a
poor type of house would permit ; therefore no arrangement was made to re-visit.
Several months later I saw this baby again ; it was then in a very unsatisfactory
condition. The baby had made good progress until the 8th week, when the
mother fell ill with blood poisoning, and was ordered by the doctor to wean the baby ;
from that time onward it had been wrongly fed, and had gradually deteriorated.
If the mother had, as a matter of routine, been re-visited at the end of about six
weeks, she would at least have had an opportunity of knowing the right method of
artificially feeding.
Although I have much faitli in the efficacy of systematic re-visiting,
at the same time, I have found that the education of the mother, although an
important factor, is not in itself an all-sufficient remedy for the evils which militate
against infant life in this Borough. Records of the visits during this year show that it
has been comparatively easy to obtain improvements when the home has certain
essential requirements. The housing conditions should at least afford convenient
facilities for cleanliness, and decency and privacy in sanitary accommodation ; these
essentials are often lacking, and their absence has a very demoralising effect on the
family. Much more has been done when the father as well as the mother takes an
intelligent interest in his home and children, and contributes a just proportion of his
wages towards the upkeep of his home. When this co-operation between parents
was lacking, progress was hindered, and sometimes entirely checked. Intemperance
with its concomitant evils in either one or both of the parents was a serious
drawback ; in some cases, either chronic or acute poverty, often not the fault of
the individual, has made it impossible for the parents to provide as much food and
material comforts as are necessary for health.