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47
Notification of Births Act, 1907.
Of the 435 births registered during the year 420, or 96.6
per cent., were duly notified in accordance with the provisions of
the above-mentioned Act. Of the 420 births notified 174 were
notified by medical practitioners, 230 by midwives, and 16 by
other persons. In every instance in which there was at failure
to notify a birth the person, or persons, responsible have been
communicated with and reminded of their obligations under the
Act.
Still-births.—There were 10 still-births notified during 1926,
representing 2.3 percent. of the total births occurring in the year.
Enquiries were made into each of these cases.
Home-Visiting.
The Health Visitors have made visits to the homes of all
newly-born infants amongst the working-classes. During 1926
the total notifications of birth received numbered 420; 372, or
89 percent., of these were home-visited, the visits being made
as soon as possible after the birth. In a large number of the
cases visited the infants were subsequently brought to the Infant
Welfare Clinics, the number thus persuaded to attend, 121,
being very satisfactory considering the character of the District.
Infants and young children who were not brought to the Centre,
and in whose case the particular circumstances indicated any need
for following-up, were re-visited periodically by the Health
Visitors with the object of keeping them under observation until
they became of school age. The Health Visitors made 1,023 revisits
in connection with this work of following-up.
Special visits have also been made by the Health Visitors in
connection with infectious diseases occurring amongst infants and
children under 5 years, in cases of ophthalmia neonatorum, and
for purposes of investigation into still-births and infant deaths,
and into cases of puerperal fever. A number of visits have also
been made to expectant mothers.
Maternity and Child Welfare Centre.
The Maternity and Child Welfare Centre is held at the
Technical Institute, North Worple Way, Mortlake. The building
unfortunately does not entirely meet the requirements of the
Clinics; the accommodation available does not allow of the routine
undressing of babies for weighing.