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103
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
On re-visiting 2,110 were found to be entirely breast-fed,
847 were breast-fed supplemented by artificial feeding, and the
remainder were otherwise fed.
162 of the infants visited died during the year (21 in Clapham,
13 in Putney, 19 in Balham, 15 in Streatham, 26 in Tooting,
31 in Wandsworth I., and 37 in Wandsworth II.) As
shown by the table, the highest mortality occurred during the
first five months of life, four died under one month, and 91 died
before reaching the age of six months.
163 of the infants visited were prematurely born, and 131
were delicate from birth, 92 twin births were visited, of whom
five died.
With regard to the employment of midwives, 1,860 mothers
had employed their services, 775 infants were born in hospital,
maternity homes and other institutions, and two unregistered
women were employed.
In 2,123 births doctors have been in attendance.
179 children between the ages of one and two years were
visited and 1,091 were re-visited. 151 children between the ages
of two and five years were visited, and 1,033 were re-visited.
The small number of first visits to children between the ages
of one to two, and two to five years, is due to the fact that most
of them had been already visited as infants. The 179 children
under two years of age, and 151 between the ages of two to five
years were children who had been born elsewhere, and so not
previously known and visited.
The ante-natal work has developed during the last year
owing to the Welfare Centres having ante-natal sessions apart
from the Infant Clinics. The visits totalled 491 as against 206
in 1920.
The sanitary defects found in the houses during visits to the
mothers were all dealt with in the usual way. Cases in which
defects were found were referred to me by the Health Visitors,
and, in addition, 44 intimation notices were served by the two
Health Visitors, who are also Sanitary Inspectors.