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22
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
In May Dr. E. J. O'Keeffe was appointed Deputy and Assistant Medical
Officer of Health in charge of the Maternity and Child Welfare Service, and
he commenced his duties on 19th July.
During the year two of the Health Visitors, Miss M. Bailey and Miss S.
Foucar, attended the annual revision course for Health Visitors at the Winter
School for Health Visitors, held at Bedford College for Women, under the
auspices of the Women's Public Health Officers' Association, from December,
1937, to January, 1938. These classes are invaluable for keeping the Health
Visitors abreast of modern methods in maternity and child welfare.
The only change to record in the premises of welfare centres in the
borough is that the Borough Council welfare centre at 401, Mile End Road,
has been transferred to 17, Rhondda Grove, in the same district.
The attendances at the infant welfare centres continue to be satisfactory.
One of the important activities of the infant welfare centres is the training
and advising of the mothers in the proper care, feeding and clothing of their
children. This training in babycraft is given by the Health Visitors at the
welfare centres by means of talks or individual instruction and advice.
During the year a knitting competition was held for the mothers attending
the welfare centres. This was very successful both with regard to the number
and the standard of the entries, and served to stimulate the interest of the
mothers in the principles of correct clothing for their children.
The effect of this training of the mothers is reflected in the sensible
clothing that the majority of infants and young children wear nowadays.
Toddlers' Clinics. (Circular No. 1550).—The Council reviewed the arrangements
in the Borough for supervising the health of children under school age,
following the receipt of Circular No. 1550 from the Ministry of Health, and
decided on establishing two toddlers' clinics to be held monthly, one on either
side of the Borough.
The toddlers' clinics were established accordingly, one at Limehouse
Town Hall to cater for the area served by the following municipal infant
welfare centres Limehouse Town Hall, Burdett Road, St. George's Town
Hall, and Riverside Mansions Centres, one at Hughes Mansions to cater for
the area served by the following municipal infant welfare centres:— Vallance
Road, Newark Street and Cottage Grove Centres.
The toddlers' clinic sessions are held on the second Friday in each month
at Vallance Road Centre and on the fourth Friday in each month at the
Limehouse Town Hall Centre.
The first toddlers' clinic session was held at Limehouse Town Hall Centre
on 24th September.
The children attending the toddlers' clinics are selected by the medical
officers of the infant welfare centres and the health visitors, or are referred
by parents. The health visitors concentrate on securing the attendance of
those toddlers who have never previously attended a centre or who have
attended a centre only during the infancy period or very occasionally. Of
the number who attended the toddlers' clinic—15% had attended infant
welfare centres regularly, 49% attended during infancy period or only
occasionally, and 36% had never previously attended an infant welfare
centre.