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Supply of Milk to Expectant and Nursing' Mothers and
Infants.—During the year six hundred and fifty-seven applications
for free milk supplies under the Maternity and Child
Welfare Scheme were received from one hundred and fortythree
families, compared with one hundred and eighty-six
applications from seventy families in the preceding year.
Six hundred and thirty-six of the applications were granted,
an increase of four hundred and fifty-eight on the figure for
1931.
The unemployment resulting from the prolonged industrial
depression is principally responsible for the much higher
number of applications dealt with.
The milk is granted on medical grounds and the circumstances
of each case are carefully considered by the SubCommittee
dealing with this question.
A close co-operation is maintained between the
Sub-Committee and the Public Assistance Committee in dealing
with applicants who are already in receipt of Public
Assistance Benefit.
Dental Treatment.
Dental treatment is also available for children under
school age and for nursing and expectant mothers. The
Dental Surgeon devotes one session a week at the Health
Centre to Maternity and Child Welfare cases. Fifty-four
mothers and ninety-four children under school age attended
for treatment. One hundred and twelve general anaesthetics
and forty-nine local anæsthetics were administered. Where
necessary, nursing and expectant mothers are provided with
dentures. Nine dentures were supplied to mothers through
the dental clinic during 1932.
It is difficult to over-estimate the importance of this side
of the work, as it is impossible for a mother to rear a healthy
child unless her mouth is in a satisfactory condition and she
is able to masticate her food properly. Many of the mothers
still show considerable reluctance to having requisite dental
attention, but there are indications that the necessity for this
is becoming more generally realised.
The following table gives an indication of the work
carried out by the Dental Surgeon in connection with the
Maternity and Child Welfare Department for the year ended
31st December, 1932:—
Mothers—attendances for treatment 210
„ teeth extracted 190
„ „ filled 32
71