View report page

46
Section VII.
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
Hitherto, whilst the Urban District of Barnes has been the
Local Authority for the purpose of carrying out the Notifications
of Births Act, 1907, in this area, the work under the Maternity
and Child Welfare Act, 1918, has been undertaken by the Surrey
County Council as part of the County Scheme for Maternity and
Child Welfare.
From the 1st January, 1927 the Urban District Council will
carry out directly the whole of the Maternity and Child Welfare
work.
Infantile Mortality.—Measures carried out under the Maternity
and Child Welfare Act has had a very pronounced effect in reducing
the rate of mortality amongst infants under 1 year of age in this
District. The infantile mortality for 1926 was 50 per 1,000
registered births.
In 17 of the 27 deaths assignable to the District, death occurred
before the infant was 2 weeks old, a fact indicating the need for
preventive measures to be begun as early as possible, indeed, the
importance of ante-natal measures is clearly shown by the very
large proportion of the deaths which had occurred at this very
early age. In 14, or half the total deaths, the infants died within
the first week of life, in fact, 9 deaths, one-third of the total,
occurred within 24 hours of birth.
Maternal Mortality.—There was no death during 1926 either
from puerperal fever or other diseases or accidents of pregnacy
and childbirth. The deaths from these causes during the previous
5 years were respectively 2, 1, 3, 1 and 1.
Puerperal Fever.—One case of puerperal fever was notified in
1926. The case was a serious one, sepsis following a still-birth
in which there had been severe ante-partum haemorrhage from
placenta prsevia ; the patient recovered.
This case was not removed to Hospital.