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81
The number of infants under one year of age attending for the
first time during 1937, namely 206, represents 56.4 per cent. of the
total births occurring in the year.
A Medical Officer and two Health Visitors, kindly assisted by
Voluntary Helpers, are in attendance at the Centre at each session.
The number of consultations with the Medical Officer at the
centre was 2,084 as contrasted with 1,100 in 1936.
During the year 58 children under 5 years of age were referred
to Hospitals for sick and ailing children, 14 of whom were admitted
as in-patients; in addition to these there were 4 children referred
to an Orthopaedic Hospital for treatment.
The practice of supplying dried milk, etc. at the Centre at cost
price, or free in necessitous cases, was continued during 1937. The
total dried milk which was supplied during the year was 2,795 pounds.
During the year fresh milk has also been supplied to expectant
mothers and nursing mothers and to children under 5 years of age.
The total fresh milk which was supplied during the year was 1,099
gallons.
The following are the number of cases in which a supply of milk
was granted:—to expectant mothers, 12; to nursing mothers, 23;
to children under 5 years of age, 52: Total 87.
In each instance, in accordance with the Council's Scheme, the
supply of milk has not been granted for a period longer than a month
at a time. The cases have been reviewed in every instance before
continuing or renewing a supply. In all cases in which fresh milk
has been supplied it has been stipulated that the milk supplied shall
be "pasteurized" milk.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT, 1929.
Under the above-mentioned Act it became the duty of the Council
firstly, to perform the functions of a Local Authority under the Children
Act, 1908 as regards Infant Life Protection, and secondly, to make
contributions towards the expenses of certain Voluntary Associations
(viz. two nursing associations and a day nursery) in so far as they were
providing maternity and child welfare services within the area. The
conditions subject to which the contributions are payable to these
Voluntary Associations were included in the Council's Scheme
and were set out briefly in my Annual Report for 1930, pages 98 to
100; one of these conditions is that the Council must be satisfied as
to the efficiency of the maternity and child welfare services provided
by the association.