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11
year comparatively few cases of measles, whooping cough and other
infectious diseases which take a heavy toll of infant life and it is
too much to hope that 1938 will produce such a good record.
Moreover, our difficulties will increase with the completion of the
County Council's housing estates in the Borough.
In my Annual Report for 1936 I stated that in that year there
were only four deaths from causes directly associated with childbirth,
that this was the smallest number of maternal deaths ever
recorded in the Borough and that the maternal mortality-rate of
1.28 per 1,000 total (live and still) births was also a record. The
number of maternal deaths in 1937 was also four, but the decrease
in the number of births—2,858 living and 104 stillborn children in
1937 as compared with 3,018 living and 94 stillborn children in
1936—results in a slightly increased maternal mortality-rate of 1.35
per 1,000 total births.
The incidence of the two most prevalent notifiable infectious
diseases, diphtheria and scarlet fever, was also lower in 1937 than
for a number of years past and the attack-rates for both diseases
were lower than for England and Wales and London.
The first of the specially constructed and equipped maternity
and child welfare centres, with which the Council plans to replace
the centres held in church halls, was opened at No. 136, Richmond
Road on 3rd May, 1937, and the improved arrangements for
examination and supervision of mothers and infants and the
additional facilities for dental and artificial light treatment,
diphtheria immunisation and sewing instruction are much appreciated
by the mothers. Indeed, it has already been necessary to
institute additional child welfare sessions at this Centre. The
premises have been visited by many members and officials of other
local authorities and it is hoped that these inspections of the
planning and equipment of the Centre have been of value to other
Councils. The building of the new Centre at Elsdale Street is now
in progress and this Centre will be occupied towards the end of 1938.
Particulars of the attendances at the welfare centres are given on
page 49 and these figures show that the Centre at Lauriston Road,
which is to be replaced by the Elsdale Street Centre, is very overcrowded
on the one half-day of the week on which it is used for
child welfare work.
As will be seen from the housing section of the Report, I have
now represented to the Borough Council all the areas included in
the first and second five-year clearance programmes. The progress
made with the re-housing of the persons in the areas and the