Report of the Commission of Public Health to the Minister of Public Health / Department of Public Health, Victoria.

  • Victoria. Commission of Public Health.
Date:
[1946]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Commission of Public Health to the Minister of Public Health / Department of Public Health, Victoria. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    25/64 (page 25)
    A study of Diagrams (1), (2), and (3) illustrating the Vital Statistics, shows that this lowering of the infantile mortality rate, has occurred mainly between one month and twelve months of age. Diagrams (2) and (3) demonstrate the vital need of increased education and care in the Pre-natal 'period. This care should be given to ensure early medical treatment of any illness or abnormality detected during pregnancy. Special attention should be paid to correct nutrition. Leaflets compiled by this Department should help considerably in stressing the importance of this aspect in pre-natal care. Five such leaflets have been provided, namely :— “ Ante-natal Clothing.” “ Prospective Motherhood.” “ Pre-natal Diet.” “ Pre-natal Exercises ” ; and “ Post-natal Exercises.” A booklet dealing with pre-natal care will shortly be available. Educational talks and demonstrations on hygiene and diet are given in some Infant Welfare Centres for expectant mothers. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH -VICTORIA] - Maternal & Child Hygiene Branch Analysis oT Requirements Tor ANTE-NATAL EXAMINATION CENTRE attached to or apart Erom INFANT WELFARE CENTRE In Door and/or Out Qoor Private Room for Nurse if not one to Weifare Centre ANTE-NATAL EXAMINATION CENTRE \ /V Barbara Meredith MB. BS Director of Maternof in font s. Pre-School Wei fare, Win/fret/ Champion M 8 BS Pre Not of Medico/ Officer WCTORIA S-------^ Diagram 4. Table (5).—Attendances of Expectant Mothers for Year ended 30th June, 1946, at :— (a) Metropolitan—Municipal Pre-natal Supervision Centres. Name of Centre. Number of Patients. Number of Visits to Centres. South Melbourne 138 578 Northcote .. 78 312 Sandringham 18 59 Richmond .. 34 118 Prahran 228 1,098 Total 496 2,165 (b) District-nursing Pre-natal Supervision Centres. Name of Centre. Number of Visits to Centre. Collingwood 639 Footscray .. 501 South Melbourne (until end of November, 1945).. 122 Total 1,262 (c).—Attendances of Expectant Mothers for Pre-natal Hygiene at Victorian Infant Welfare Centres. 1944-45. 1945-46. Number of individual cases 5,937 5,995 Number of new cases 4,453 4,567 Total number of consultations .. 13,908 14,063 INFANT HEALTH SECTION. Infant Welfare Centres are depots established and main¬ tained throughout the State by municipal councils, which bear the capital and equipment costs and all maintenance and salary expenditure over £165 per annum for each full-time nurse employed, this latter being the subsidy granted by the Government through the Department of Health. This subsidy is to be increased to £200 per annum from the beginning of the financial year. The municipal council employs, pays and discharges the nurse. The council may be assisted domestically by its own local Health Committee or by the local voluntary Infant Welfare Committee. All the Infant Welfare Centres subsidized by the Government are co-ordinated through the Maternal Infant, and Pre-school Division of the Department of Health, but some of the councils, with their local com¬ mittees also seek affiliation with one of the voluntary organizations. Voluntary Organizations. (a) The Victorian Baby Health Centres Association, with which approximately 57 per cent, of the Infant Welfare Centres are affiliated, and so may also be known as Baby Health Centres. (b) The Society for the Health of Women and Children, with which approximately 11 per cent, of the Infant Welfare Centres are affiliated, and so may also be known as Baby Welfare Centres. The remaining 32 per cent, of the Infant Welfare Centres are not affiliated with either voluntary organization. Number of Centres. At the end of June, 1946, there were 316 Static Centres operating in Victoria. During 1945-46 four centres closed. One centre re¬ opened leaving 273 Static Centres. Twenty-two new Static Centres and one new depot in the Kowree Shire were opened during the year.