View report page

Two deaths occurred during 1937. In the first case the child was brought to one of the
Maternity and Child Welfare Centres, looked ill and collapsed, and the foster-mother was advised
(by the Health Visitor) to take the child to her own Doctor at once. This advice was followed,
and the child was admitted to Hospital immediately, where it died the next day. The cause of
death was given as " Collapse due to Diarrhoea and Vomiting." No Inquest was held.
In the second case the child was in a poor state when received by the foster-mother at the
age of five weeks. The child was seen by two Doctors, and removal to hospital was advised, but
the child passed away during the journey to hospital. A Post Mortem examination was carried
out, and the cause of death was given as " Right-sided Pleurisy and Congestion of base of right
lung, indicating early Pneumonia, probably accelerated by malnutrition due to Diarrhoea and
vomiting."
It was not necessary to take proceedings during the year under the Acts relating to Child
Life Protection.
The legal obligations of foster-mothers continue to be made known by notices in the local
press, and the display of notices in the Maternity and Child Welfare Centres and outside the
Public Health Department.
The Health Visitors promptly investigate every case where it is suspected that the undertaking
of the nursing and maintenance of a child makes it a foster-child within the meaning of the
Acts.
The Public Health Act, 1936, came into operation on the 1st October, 1937, but did not
entail any great changes in the Child Life Protection work.
Under Section 219 (1) of the Act applications were received from the authorities of the
four following "Homes" or "Schools" for certificates of exemption from this part of the Act.
(At the time of writing this report I can say that these certificates of exemption have been granted
for a period ending on the 31st March, 1939, when further applications will have to be made by
the authorities concerned):—Royal School for Naval and Marine Officers' Daughters, St.
Margarets; Nazareth House, Isleworth; Gumley House, Isleworth; St. Mary's R.C. Schools,
North Hyde.
Sub-section (2) of Section 219 of the Act gives the welfare authority the power to exempt
a person from giving notice in respect of each individual child in cases where children are
received for a succession of short holidays. This provision, which would apply particularly in
country districts and at the seaside, is not likely to be exercised in this Borough.
Section 218 confers upon the welfare authority the power of defraying the expenses of
maintenance of a foster-child in a place of safety to which the child has been removed under this
part of the Act. This is a useful provision, but it is to be hoped that the very close supervision to
which the foster-mothers and their premises are subjected in this area, will preclude our having
recourse to it.
Orthopaedic Treatment.—There is no detailed scheme but all cases are dealt with as the
circumstances require. The Corporation makes a grant of £15 per annum to the Royal National
Orthopaedic Hospital, to which hospital cases are referred if necessary, and are subsequently
dealt with as the condition necessitates. If in-patient treatment is required this is povided. This
arrangement is working quite satisfactorily.
MATERNAL MORTALITY.
There is now available for every pregnant woman in the area:—
(a) An Ante-Natal Specialist,
(b) An Obstetric Specialist in case of difficulty at the confinement,
(c) A Specialist in case of Puerperal Fever,
(d) Reds provided at Queen Charlotte's Hospital, in case further treatment is required,
(e) Municipal Service of Midwives,
(f) Sterilized maternity outfits for very poor mothers confined at home.
In addition to this, from the dental side there is provision of everything that can ensure
that the mother's mouth is cleaned before her confinement. Where this necessitates the removal
of large numbers of teeth, there is the provision srbsequently of dentures. Where the extractions
are numerous, in order that the expectant mother shall get the least possible upset, an arrangement
exists with the Royal Free Hospital (Eastman Dental Clinic), to admit the patients to their beds
for one or two nights, as may be necessary, for which we pay at the rate of 15s. per night.
58