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39
to offer any advice which may be needed by the family.
While she is in charge of a case, any eye discharge
occurring in the infant must be notified by the midwife
to her local supervising authority, which in London is
the London County Council. Such notifications are
forwarded to the Medical Officer of Health, and are
handed over to the Health Visitors for home visitation.
(See page 33.)
Measles is a notifiable disease in this Borough and
of late years it has taken an alarming toll of the
infant population, coming, as it does, as an epidemic
every two years. In 1931 we were singularly free from
this disease. When a child of under five years of age
is notified as suffering from measles, a Health Visitor
calls and advises the mother as to isolation and the
calling in of medical or nursing assistance. Inevitably
a considerable proportion of children receive no
medical attention and, but for the timely intervention
of the Health Visitor, still more would be in this
unfortunate position.
Notification of Births.
During the year 1931, 2,013 births of living children
and 53 births of stillborn children were notified. Of
these, 254 or 12.3 per cent. were notified by doctors,
1,793 or 86.8 per cent. by midwives and 19 or 0-92
per cent. by fathers or persons in attendance at the
births. The stillbirths during 1931 were equal to
2.6 per cent. of the notified births. These figures
show a decrease from those for 1930.
In spite of the lower birth rate, the total attendances
at the Infant Welfare Centres have increased
by 2,004 and the first attendances have increased by
174, showing 57.8 per cent, of the notified births as
against 46.3 per cent. in 1930. It must be remembered
also that, in the case of a great number of the notified
births, the infants attend the Centre attached to the
Hospital where they were born, and some go to the
Servite Church Centre in Fulham Road or to the Truby