View report page

A full-time Assistant Medical Officer was appointed in Sept..
1926, to supervise the Health Visitors and attend the Child Welfare
Clinics, etc.
Antenatal Work.
In October, 1926, two Municipal Antenatal Clinics were
opened, one at the Silvertown Centre and one at West Ham Lane
Centre. Arrangements were made some years ago with Queen
Mary's Hospital and Plaistow Maternity Hospital to admit women
for confinement to these Institutions, and expectant mothers who
wished to be confined at Queen Mary's were then visited by the
Health Visitors. Since then, systematic visiting once a month
for all expectant mothers has been established.
A new Municipal Infant Welfare Centre was opened in October,
1926, in West Ham Lane, with one session a week; owing,
however, to an increase in the numbers attending, a second session
was started in February, 1927, and in February, 1928, it was
found necessary to start a third session weekly. The numbers
attending the Infant Welfare Clinic at Silvertown are also increasing,
though it has not yet been found necessary to open an additional
session there.
Health talks are now given to mothers attending the Centres,
on subjects such as "Management of Infants," "Infants' Clothing,"
"General Hygiene," etc.
Artificial Light Treatment.
Arrangements were made last year whereby an Artificial
Sunlight Clinic was opened in the Stratford Day Nursery, Welfare
Road, where two sessions per week are in operation.
Convalescence for Nursing Mothers and their babies has also
been instituted, and cases have been constantly in residence at St.
Mary's Convalescent Home, Birchington-on-Sea, since the first
patient went away in February, 1928.
Beds have been reserved at Plaistow Fever Hospital for
women suffering from fever following confinement. Also, three
consultants have been engaged who mav be called in by any doctor
attending a case of fever following confinement if he deems it
necessary.
Arrangements have been made with St. Margaret's Hospital,
Leighton Road, N.W.5, whereby all babies suffering from severe
eye complaints can be immediately admitted to that Institution.
139