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92
The chief causes of infant death will be seen to be due to Premature
Birth, Bronchitis and Pneumonia, and Atrophy, Debility and
Marasmus.
During 1930, eight deaths of children under two years were
registered from Diarrhoea and Enteritis, giving a rate of 4.0 per
1,000 live births. The previous figures were: 1929, 4.6; 1928, 7.5;
1927, 1.4; 1926, 8.0.
4. MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
The Scheme in your Borough comprises the Municipal services and
those provided by the Walthamstow Child Welfare Society, a
Voluntary Association, to which your Council pay an annual grant
of £644 1s. 8d.
The work done under each agency will be discussed separately
below, although there is no demarcation of the areas served. A
certain amount of overlapping ensues, but this is reduced to a
minimum following the first visit paid by the Municipal Health
Visitor to all notified births. If, at this visit, it is found that the
infant either has been or will be taken to the Voluntary Centre, the
birth enquiry card is endorsed to this effect and only an occasional
visit is paid thereafter to see that the child is attending.
(a) Municipal Scheme.—The normal staff of Health Visitors is
five, one of whom devotes approximately half-time to the supervision
of outworkers under the Factory and Workshops Acts.
The resignations and new appointments have been detailed
previously.
Your Council also have an arrangement with the Woodford Urban
District Council, under which, for a payment of £20 per annum,
their Health Visitor carries out the necessary visiting in the Woodford
portion of your area. In addition, one of your Visitors carries out
supervisory visits.
Dr. R. A. Vere Hodge, Medical Officer of Health, kindly states
that the Woodford Nurse paid the following visits during 1930:—
Children under 1 year, 118; Children 1 to 5 years, 52. Total, 170.