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43
The mothers are, generally speaking, grateful for instruction
and gradually learn to follow advice given. There is very little
intentional neglect; one case of neglect I put into the hands of the
Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children and the result to the
child has been good, as I hear that it is doing well.
The work of the Centre is carried on very smoothly, owing to
the unfailing tact and efficiency of the Health Visitors, Miss Teebay
and Mrs. Lear. I much regret that Mrs. Lear has now left. The
Sister and nurses from the Dunlace Road Maternity Institute have
also given us invaluable help during the year and we owe a debt
of gratitude to our voluntary worker, Mrs. Holmes, who has
attended regularly and helped us very much.
(Sgd.) Elizabeth Wilks, M.D., B.S.
26th January, 1918.
3. Mayfield Road Infant Welfare Centre. (From May 2nd, 1917,
to December, 31st 1917.)
During the eight months this Centre has been running, there
have been 270 infants and children placed on the roll; 204 of these
were infants under one year and 66 were over one year. The number
of attendances made by mothers was 1,013, the average attendance
per consultation being 37.9, whilst the greatest number of
attendances at any one consultation was 51, which occurred on
three occasions. The Centre has been open for 34 weeks.
The War has made conditions very difficult for the nursing
mother. The anxiety associated with air raids has interfered
in a large number of cases with lactation and not infrequently
after an air raid the mother's milk has totally disappeared and has
not returned again.
It has been difficult too for the nursing mother to get proper
nourishing food for herself, especially with the present scarcity
of milk, meat and eggs, and this has acted detrimentally in the
mother, and through her, in the child.