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146
SECTION IX.—MATERNITY AND CHILD
WELFARE.
The Council's Maternity and Child Welfare Scheme was
fully described in last year's report.
Notification of Births Acts, 1907-15. Every birth
occurring in the Borough requires to be notified to the Medical
Officer of Health within thirty-six hours of birth. As a
matter of fact, only a very small percentage of births are not
so notified. As soon as a notification is received pamphlets
dealing with the care and comfort of mothers and infants
are sent by post to every mother. Subsequently, between
the tenth and fourteenth day, a visit is paid to the home by
the Health Visitor who decides on her first visit the necessity
for subsequent visits. It may be stated, however, that,
broadly, the general basis of visiting is as follows :—three
visits during the first year and one visit in each subsequent
year up to the age of five years, or until the child goes to
school.
The Work of the Health Visitors. The following Table
shows the classification of visits paid by the Health Visitors
in 1929.