[Report 1912] / Medical Officer of Health, Newcastle-upon-Tyne City & County.

  • Newcastle upon Tyne (England). City & County Council.
Date:
1912
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1912] / Medical Officer of Health, Newcastle-upon-Tyne City & County. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    doing through its two branches in Wharncliffe Street and Norfolk Road, where cheap dinners are provided for poor mothers during their pregnant and nursing periods and where they are taught sewing, knitting, and simple cookery, and at the bi-weekly infant weighing receive instructions in the feeding and care of their babies. This Society originated hve years ago as the result of the efforts of the Superintendent of Midwives^ who acts as honorary secretary ; funds are provided by voluntary subscription, and tAvo visiting nurses are in its employ. It is an invaluable auxiliary to the Health Department. The midAvives, as the result of careful tuition, are able to render great assistance also by teaching the mothers whom they attend the principles of infant care in Avhich they have themselves been thoroughly trained. They are encouraged to regard themselves in this respect as unofficial assistants to the Health Depart¬ ment, and there has never been any reason to regret this attitude towards them. The inffuence of housing upon the Infantile Death Rate is shown in a statement on page 41. This is to the effect that while the Infantile Mortality for all babies in the City during the five years 1908-1912, was equivalent to 125 deaths per 1,000 births, that for those ' infants—the poorest and least favourably circumstanced —that came under the care of the Health Visitors was only no. Of the latter, it Avas found that the death rate for those living in single room tenements was 128, for