View report page

130
INFANT CONSULTATION.
56. A Consultation for mothers and infants is held every
Wednesday afternoon in two rooms at the Town Hall.
Mothers bring their infants for advice and weighing between
2.30 and 4 p.m. Miss FitzGerald and the Medical Officer
of Health are in attendance during that time. At first it
was limited to infants under one year, but in accordance
with the wish of the Local Government Board, children from
one to five are now received as far as the Medical Officer
of Health can find time. The Consultation was attended
last year by 1,196 infants, compared with 460, 863, and
1408, in the three previous years. For particulars see Miss
FitzGerald's report.
57. Maternity and Child Welfare. The Local Government
Board in July, 1914, approached Sanitary Authorities
stating that they were prepared to give grants in aid of
expenditure for Maternity and Child welfare and inviting
the Sanitary Authorities to initiate complete schemes for this
purpose and to apply for grants towards carrying them out.
The Board particularly urged that the infant welfare work
undertaken by Sanitary Authorities, and which has been
specially concerned with the child in its first year of life,
should be dealt with on, a more comprehensive basis It
was pointed out that there should be a continuity in dealing
with the whole period from before birth until the time when
the ohild is entered upon a school register.
The Local Government Board memorandum contemplates
that medical advice and where necessary treatment should
be continuously and systematically available for expectant
mothers and for children until they are entered on a school
register, and that arrangements should be made for home