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151
Weighing of Infants. This part of the work of the Depot, which
corresponds to some extent to the School for Mothers inaugurated
in the Borough of St. Pancras, has largely developed in the past year.
229 Depot-fed infants were weighed, with a total of 970 weighings.
122 of these were weighed at least three times at intervals of about
a fortnight; of these 45 gained more than the average weight, 27
gained the average weight, and 55 gained less than the average.
Thus, although more than half were delicate infants, the large
majority gained the average or more than the average amount.
Mothers were also encouraged to bring their breast-fed babies to
be weighed, and for consultation as to feeding. 58 were brought,
and there were 142 weighings; 20 were weighed at least thrice, of
which 10 gained more than the average, 3 gained the average, and
7 less than the average.
At these consultations mothers are advised as to the general
management of their infants, and the modification and quantity of
the milk is altered according to the weight and general condition of
the child. If there is any illness requiring medical treatment the
mother is advised to take the baby to a doctor. Medical practitioners
are beginning to recommend the particular modification
suitable to their infantile patients, but full advantage is not yet taken
of the facility with which any desired modification of milk can be
supplied at the Depot as desired by the medical man. Frequently,
when a particular modification does not suit, the child is taken off
the Depot and the food changed, whereas probably it would be safer
and more satisfactory to order a different modification at the Depot.
Miss Dodd, M.B., B.S., kindly gave her services in assisting on
weighing days at the consultations; her assistance was of great
value.
Diarrhcea in Depot-Fed Infants. Full particulars on this
subject were given in my special report on "Summer Diarrhoea and
Notification." It appears that Depot-fed infants only run one-fourth
the risk of getting diarrhoea that other hand-fed children are exposed
to. They have, however, been found much more prone to this disease
than breast-fed children. Theoretically, Depot-fed children should
not be liable to the infection of diarrhoea any more than those breast-
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