[Report 1941] / Medical Officer of Health, Somerset County Council.

  • Somerset Council
Date:
1941
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1941] / Medical Officer of Health, Somerset County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    23/32 (page 21)
    (b) Infant Welfare Centres. At tlie end of I'Jll (lie Centres in (lie County, exclusive of those at \eovil, Tauutou and \\ eston-sn|)er-I\lare w hieli are outside (lie Ccjunly Sclienie, were; tlie following;—Bauwoll, Jtislio]) Hulton, Bridgwater, Chard, Chew Magna, Chew Stoke, CJiewtoii INlendip, t leeve and Wraxall, ( Icvcdon, ( idehird, Crewkerne, Cui'ry itivel, Dnivcrtoii, Barni- borough, Broine, Glastonbury, Ilarptree, High Litllelon, Kewstoke,' Keynshain, Bong Ashton, Mells, Midsoiner Norton, Minelicad, Nailsea, IkiulUai, Bill, I’ortishead, itadstock, Shepton Mallet, Street, Timsbury and Tunley, Wellington, Wells, West ILuntsjnll, Westbury-sub-Mendip, Westou- zoyland, Wraxall and Yatton, The Centres at Bridgwater, Midsoiner Norton and liadstock are directly controlled by the Council with the valuable assistance of local Couuiiittees; and the County Council also make grants towards the expenses of all the others. Bridgwater Infant Welfare Centre. liii'ths. During 1941, the number of births notified in tfie Borough (including still-births and cases later transferred to other districts) was 74(f; of these 729 were attended by midwives. A doctor was called in to help the niidwives in 2Ul cases. 28 babies died during the year, a rate of 7(J.9 deaths per 1,000 births. Home Visiting. No. of children on visiting list 1,802; total visits paid to infants 5,500. Centre. Number of individual children wdio attended, 501; individual mothers, 420; average attendance per session—children under 1 year, 28, 1 to 5 years, 25; average attendance per session of mothers, 85; number of attendances—children 5,880, mothers 2,888; number of medical consultations for infants, 1,082; for women (excluding ante-natal), 320. The medical work was carried out by Dr. Halliday. No regular ante-natal examinations are now’ carried out at this centre, as the work is done through local medical practitioners. 15 women not covered by the County scheme presented themselves for advice and were seen, making in all 82 attendances. The figures show an increase in the amount of work undertaken by the Centre, and they are extremely satisfactory, especially when it is noted that the total number of attendances of children have inci’eased from 2,892 in 1989 to 5,880 this year. The total attendance of mothers has also considerably increased, from 2,UU8 to 2,838. Radstock and Midsomer Norton Infant Welfare Centres. These centres are managed by the County Council with voluntary assistance. Sessions are held twice monthly in each centre, f.c., at the Victoria Hall, liadstock, and the Women’s Institute Hut, Welton, Midsomer Norton. Medical consultations are held alternate sessions and educational programmes are arranged for inlermediate dates. Dr. Cutlibert acts as Medical Olficer, attending once a month. The appointed Infant Visitors (the district nurses) attend and the work is carried on in direct relation to the existing Infant Welfare schemes.