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14
Feeding of Infants
Breast fed 6,053
Artificially fed 209
Mixed feeding 466
Dead before visit 10
6,738
The general arrangements for attending to the health of nursing and expectant
mothers, and for children under five years of age, are as follows :—
1.— Ante-natal Clinics.—The expectant mother is seen by a doctor and
a nurse. She is then referred to a Health Visitor who reports as to the home conditions
and who assists the woman in making the necessary preparations for her
confinement.
2.—Maternal and Infant Welfare Centres.—About ten days after the birth of
tne child, the mother is visited and advised to take her baby to the nearest Centre
which may be either a voluntary or a municipal one. The baby is weighed
and the doctor and Health Visitors in attendance advise the mother as to health,
hygiene and feeding.
3.— Health Visiting.—There are twelve Municipal Health Visitors who do the
primary visiting for the whole Borough and who refer each case to the Centre serving
that particular district. The subsequent visiting is then undertaken by the Centre
and thus overlapping is avoided. The Health Visitors also do the subsequent
visiting of all children attending the Municipal Centres, and of all children under
five years of age.
In addition to giving lectures on practical subjects to the mothers at the
Centres, the Health Visitors also visit and report upon all cases of still-births and
upon Ophthalmia Neonatorum throughout the Borough,
4.— Hospitals and Convalescent Homes.—Cases in urgent need of treatment are
sent to hospital, mainly to the London Hospital and to the East LondonHospital,
Shadwell. Those needing skilled home nursing are referred to the East London
Nursing Society, the Borough Council having an arrangement with the Society for
the nursing of such cases. Nursing mothers and their babies, the wives of
unemployed ex service men who would benefit by good air and food are sent to the
Lady Forster Guest House at Sydenham. Toddlers from two years of age and
upwards who are convalescent are sent to the Marjorie Lumley Home, MaidenheadDelicate
babies in urgent need of skilled nursing are now referred to the Babies'
Nursing Home, 587, Commercial Road.