Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Fulham]
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per cent. by midwives and 2 or 0.1 per cent. by fathers.
The stillbirths during 1932 were equal to 2.2 of the
notified births.
These figures show an increase ol' births over 1931
but a decrease in stillbirths.
Maternity and Child Welfare Centres.
There are three Maternity and Child Welfare Centres
in Fulliam distributed over the Borough, at 90-92,
Greyhound Road, 170, Wandsworth Bridge Road and
Mel moth Hall, Eustace Road.
In addition to my own full-time service, Dr. Ross,
Assistant Medical Officer in the Maternity and Child
Welfare Department, took certain clinics each week,
and assisted in the general administration until 1st
March, 1932, when Dr. Anna Park joined the stall'.
The total attendances at the Infant Welfare
Centres have decreased by 1,237, and the first attendances
of children under one year of age represents 52.2
per cent. of the notified live births, as compared with
57.8 per cent. in 1931 and 46.3 per cent. in 1930. This
drop in the attendances at the clinics during 1932 may be
due, to some extent, to the constant changes in the
medical personnel which have occurred during the last
two or three years. These changes have unsettled the
mothers and been inimical to the work of the Centres.
In Fulham we have found that special Toddlers'
Clinics were not acceptable to the mothers and it is certainly
more satisfactory to consider the mother and her
whole family under five years of age together, at least so
far as Maternity and Child Welfare work is concerned, so
toddlers come to the ordinary clinics.
The supervision of the nursing mother is a most
important part of the work. Without strict attention
to this point, much of the edifice built by the Maternity
and Child Welfare Department must fall to the ground.