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The whole department is controlled by the provisions of the Maternity and Child Welfare
Act, 1918, and the Public Health (London) Act, 1936; and a large proportion of the work of
the Health Visitors is directly dependent on the Notification of Births Acts, 1907 and 1915,
which make compulsory the notification of every birth to the Medical Officer of Health within
thirty-six hours. The Health Visitor calls as soon as the period of attendance by the doctor
or midwife has ended.
Advice is given on the general management of all children under five years of age, and
where there is an infant the importance of breast-feeding is stressed. Anything which may
affect the well-being of the home is a concern of the Health Visitor; and mothers are encouraged
to place their children under regular medical supervision, through the Welfare Centres or otherwise.
'ihe question of the importance of breast-feeding is continually urged in the home and at
the clinic; and yet there is a large proportion of mothers who, for no physical reason, persist
m putting their babies on artificial foods. There may be many contributory causes for this; but
it is a matter which gives rise to grave concern on the part of the Maternity and Child Welfare
staff.
The Health Visitors visit all cases of ophthalmia neonatorum, puerperal fever and puerperal
pyrexia; all cases of measles (which is notifiable in this Borough) in children under the age of
five years; all antenatal cases brought to oar notice; cases of pneumonia in children under five
^ears; and epidemic diarrhoea;—and give such advice in these cases as may be desirable.
The Health Visitors also visit pregnant women in the Borough who are booked to enter
maternity wards of hospitals. The hospital Almoners send lists of such cases; and by this
means the department gets into touch with many pregnant women who would otherwise remain
unknown.