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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.
The work of the Health Visitors includes the following:—
1. Visiting in the Homes under the Notification of Births
Act.
2. Home visiting of children up to 5 years of age.
3. Home visiting of pre-school children in regard to
defects.
4. Home visiting of foster children.
5. Home visiting in connection with Ante-natal Clinic
and expectant mothers.
6. Ante-natal Clinic for expectant mothers.
7. Infant Welfare Clinics for children up to 5 years of age.
8. Special visiting of
(a) Still Births. (d) Visits to Tonsils and
(b) Ophthalmia Neonatorum. Adenoid Cases.
(c) Puerperal Fever and (e) Pneumonia.
Pyrexia. (f) Infantile Diarrhcea.
(g) Other special visits.
Notification of Births.
The Notification of Births Act, 1915, requires that all births
be notified to the Medical Officer of Health within 36 hours of their
occurrence.
All cases notified are visited by the Health Visitor as soon as
possible after the doctor or midwife has ceased to attend. Advice
is given with regard to the care, management, feeding and clothing
of the child, and also the general health and care of the mother.
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 visits made by the Health Visitors during 1930 were
18,804, as compared with 16,329 in the previous year.