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The three ante-natal clinics in the Borough, send us cards asking that
expectant mothers should be visited. The Health Visitor reports on the home
conditions, and advises the mother on the preparation of confinement. Any
sanitary defects in the home are noted, and in these cases where home conditions
are obviously unsuitable for a confinement, arrangements are made for
the woman's admission to a Lying-in Hospital. A bed is reserved in the
East End Mothers Lying-in Home for necessitous cases recommended by
the Council.
The mother and baby are visited for the first time ten days after a
confinement. The mother is urged to attend the nearest Infant Welfare Centre
with her baby. The Municipal Health Visitors undertake the primary
visiting throughout the whole of the Borough, except for those Jewish babies
who are born in 24, Underwood Street, and who live in the area worked by
that clinic. The babies are afterwards visited from the centres which they
attend. All children are visited at regular intervals until they reach five
years of age or are attending school.
During the past year every case of stillbirth was visited, and also all
cases of Ophthalmia Neonatorum occurring in the Borough.
In addition to consultation days when the doctor attends, lectures are
given by the Health Visitors at the Centre at least once a week, on hygiene
and health.
A sewing class is held once weekly at each of the Municipal Centres.
The mothers are taught how to cut out and make simple garments, and to
remodel old ones. It was not an easy matter to attract the poorer women to
these classes, as very many of them are unable to sew. However, after
persistent efforts the attendance at each sewing class is now satisfactory,
particularly so, in that it is mainly composed of those mothers who need the
instruction most. As a result of this there is an obvious improvement in the
general cleanliness and tidiness of the mothers and babies who attend the
Centre. All the sewing classes arc now in the charge of a Municipal Health
Visitor, each of whom is experienced and well qualified for the work.
Owing to the large attendance at the Whitechapel Centre, it was found
necessary to hold a consultation day twice a week.
A cot is reserved at the Stepney Nursing Home for babies attending the
Borough Centres who are delicate, and require skilled nursing. The Matron
of the Home submits a monthly report of the progress of each case. It has
been found that wasting babies do extremely well under the treatment at the
Home. Cases in urgent need of treatment are sent to hospital, mainly to the
London Hospital and the East London Hospital.