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SECTION III. MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
The Council's Maternity and Child Welfare scheme is comprehensive in its
arrangements for the care and comfort of expectant and nursing mothers and for
children under 5 years of age. It has included since 1933 infant life protection.
Staff.—Three whole-time medical officers are in medical charge of the clinics,
each of whom devotes eight half-days per week to Maternity and Child Welfare,
and three half-days to Tuberculosis. One part-time medical officer takes charge
of the Toddlers' examination clinic, and two consultants have been appointed—
one for the Artificial Sunlight Clinic and one for consultation in connection with
cases of puerperal sepsis and difficult obstetric conditions occurring at home. The
dental staff—two dentists and an anaesthetist—are part-time and are appointed
by the School Treatment Committee subject to the approval of the Council. The
health visiting staff now consists of thirteen whole-time health visitors: three of
these are part-time sanitary inspectors, four are part-time Infant Life Protection
Visitors, and one is the Artificial Sunlight Clinic nurse.
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 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.
The Work of the Health Visitors.—The work performed by these officers
during the year with regard to maternity and child welfare is summarised in the
following Table:—