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resident at the time of birth, and of any person in attendance upon
the mother at the time of birth.
On the doctor or midwife ceasing to attend on the mother, I
forward to her a leaflet, "On the Care of Infants"; subsequently,
in suitable cases, one of the Health Visitors, on my instruction,
visits the mother and invites her to attend one of the Welfare
Centres with her babe, leaving with her, at the same time, a card
containing the address of the Centre, and the day and hours it is
open. While inviting mothers to attend, they are given quite to
understand that their attendance is quite voluntary.
On attending the Centre, the weight of the infant is taken
and recorded; the infant is then seen and examined by the
attending doctor and the parent advised as to its feeding and care.
Treatment is also given in cases of simple ailment, especially
those affecting the digestive system or any other temporary
deviation from the normal standard of health. If the infant
happens to be suffering from any definite illness requiring continuous
treatment, the case is referred to a medical practitioner or
a hospital.
In a Memorandum on Maternity and Child Welfare Centres
by the Medical Officer of the Local Government Board, he defines
the object of such Centres in the following terms:—
"The chief object of the Centre is to secure the medical
supervision of the expectant and nursing mother and of her
child. This supervision takes the form of a medical consultation,
followed by the giving of hygienic advice, and by
treatment, especially for minor complaints, when local
circumstances indicate the need for this. It is not intended
that the work of the Centre should replace that of private
practitioners. The chief utility of the Centre consists in the
giving of advice based on medical knowledge of the condition
of the patient."