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50
Morning Clinics.
The special morning Clinics, initiated during 1927, have more
than justified their existence, as shown by an average attendance
of 16 at each Clinic. The cases dealt with are chiefly test feeds,
cases of difficult feeding, and children between three and five years
who have been referred to the Medical Officer by the Health
Visitors from their district visits. Comparing the number of
visits paid to these older children during 1927 and 1928, it will
be seen that a big effort has been made to concentrate, as far as
the limited staff will allow, upon children nearing school age.
The Work of the Health Visitors in the Homes of the
Borough.
The visiting of young infants and children under school age
was the primary object of the appointment of Health Visitors,
and remains the most important part of their work.
Information (within 36 hours after confinement) as to all
births in the Borough reaches the Medical Officer of Health under
the requirements of the Notification of Births Acts, 1907 and 1915,
and is by him passed on to the Medical Officer of the Infant
Welfare Department. A fortnight later, i.e., after the doctor or
midwife has probably ceased to attend, the Health Visitor of the
district in which a birth has occurred calls at the home, and does
what she can to help the mother with regard to the care, management,
feeding and clothing of the child, and of other young
children in the house. This arrangement for advice by the Health
Visitors is especially valuable in the case of young mothers with
their first babies, and in poor homes where a trained nurse has
not otherwise been available.
Thereafter, periodic visits are made to the homes of infants
during the first two years of life, and, as far as possible, at wider
intervals, during the next three years, up to the time when the
child comes under the observation of the School Medical Service.
The limitations that exist to this further visiting are, however,
very great, and have already been touchfed upon at the beginning
of this report.
In addition to the routine work of the Health Visitors, special
visits to the homes are made in reference to cases of enlarged