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(e) INFANT WELFARE CENTRES
In the Borough of Shoreditch there are 19 infant welfare clinics. Eight clinics
are held at the Model Welfare Centre, 210, Kingsland Road, and the others are held
at Hoxton Market Mission (two), Hoxton Hall (two), St. Helen's (two), Haggerston
Road (one), Harbour Lights (one) and Herbert Street (three).
The total first attendances of infants during 1938 was 933 as compared with
993 in 1937. The figure for the total attendances was 16,369 as compared with
16,785 in 1937. The first attendances of children was 303 against 282 in 1937.
The total attendances of children between one and five years was 16,775 against
16,120 for 1937. The average number of attendances per infant in 1938 was 17.5
and the corresponding figure for 1937 was 16.9.
The number of first examinations of infants was 924 (99.0 per cent. of the total
infants who attended on at least one occasion). The corresponding figure for children
between one and five years was 284, which represents 93.7 per cent. of the total
children at these ages who were examined on at least one occasion by one of the
assistant medical officers for maternity and child welfare.
The work of the clinics proceeded as usual during the year and no detailed
comments on their functions are called for. The total number of children who attended
at the centres during the year, who at the end of the year were under one year of age,
was 891, and the corresponding number between one and five years was 2,615; hence
the total number of children under five years of age who were on the registers at the
end of the year was 3,506. Of this total 529 were referred to hospital by clinic
doctors during the year. This represents 15.1 per cent. of the total infants and children
on the register and is a fairly high figure.
(f) SPECIAL CLINICS
ARTIFICIAL SUNLIGHT CLINIC
This clinic is equipped with two mercury vapour lamps. Additional sessions
were commenced in June, 1934, on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, so that sessions
are now held on six half-days each week. Particulars of those referred to the clinic
during the last nine years are shown in the following table:—