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56
The Women's League of Service has instituted dining rooms for mothers in
many of the poorer districts of London. One of these dining rooms is established
in Church Street, Minories. Nursing and expectant mothers in suitable cases are
provided with daily dinners. An infant clinic is also held at this Centre. A doctor
attends once every week in the afternoon; he examines the babies and instructs
the mothers as to training and feeding, and treats minor ailments. Any babies
from the neighbourhood may be brought to this clinic, although it is meant primarily
for the children of mothers having dinners. Here again, classes of instruction are
given every week in sewing and knitting.
The results of providing dinners for mothers arc usually beneficial and often
very far-reaching. A particular instance will best illustrate this point.
At the first visit, the baby was found to be small, thin, and very fretful. The
mother looked underfed, was in a very depressed state of health, and seemed
indifferent. The home was dirty and untidy, and conditions generally were most
unsatisfactory. There were four other children, the eldest of whom was 12 years
of age. As usual, the mother was inclined, on account of the poor condition of the
baby, to discontinue breast feeding, and to put the child on the bottle.
She was, however, persuaded to attend the dinners regularly, and to persevere
with breast feeding. After a little while, the mother's health showed decided change
for the better, and the condition of the baby gradually improved. This improvement
has been steadily maintained. The progress of the baby, and her own returning
strength, encouraged the mother to greater cleanliness, both as regards herself, her
children, and the home.
She became neater in her person, and kept her baby clean and comfortably
clothed.
The mother now goes out cleaning several days in the week, and yet, in spite
of this, the home conditions are much more satisfactory than formerly.
In nearly all cases, the condition and health of the baby at birth, is quite
satisfactory. That the babies are well developed and in good condition at the first
visit, is shown in the following table:—
Number of babies visited, 1,757.
Good condition 87 per cent.
Fair condition 10 „
Bad condition 3 „
At the first visit the babies are, with few exceptions, breast fed.
Among first babies, the proportion of bottle fed is higher than in other cases.
Number of babies visited, 1,757—
Breast fed 92.2 per cent.
Mixed feeding—breast and bottle 4.2 „
Bottle fed 3.6 „