[Report 1919] / Medical Officer of Health, Wakefield City.

  • Wakefield (England). City Council.
Date:
1919
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1919] / Medical Officer of Health, Wakefield City. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Attendances. Centre. Mothers. Infants. Children. 1—5 Expectant Mothers. Homestead ... 1425 988 668 54 Market Street 1461 1067 894 131 Brunswick 958 471 507 56 Eastmoor 835 501 896 40 Belle Vue 1115 607 460 65 Thornes Lane 625 462 » 888 89 Total ... 6419 4046 3263 385 The work at the various Centres was carried out on similar lines to previous years. The Centres are so situated that there is one in each of the five Health Visitor’s districts, and m one district there are two. The Health Visitor is therefore fuUy acquainted with the home circumstances of the mothers who attend her centre, and this is distinctly advantageous in Child Welfare Work. At each meeting the Health Visitor gives a short talk or demonstration on some subject connected with Child Welfare or Domestic Hygiene, and individual advice is also given as required. I know that lectures at Child Welfare Centres have often been criticised as useless, but from a fairiv long experience I have come to a. very different conclusion. Of course everything depends on the person who lectures, and we are smglarly fortunate in Wakefield in having Health Visitors who are eminently qualified for this branch of their Work, and who never fail to make their addresses both interesting and instructive. At any rate, these addresses do unqestionably a great deal of good. The infants are weighed at each meeting, and on its first attendance each child is examined by the Medical Officer, and subsequently as may be required. Treatment is provided for such ailments as can properly be treated at the Centres, but cases of serious illness are referred to the family doctor. The Babies’ Welcme Committee continues to co-operate with the Child Welfare Committee of the Corporation, and provides the necessary voluntary assistance at the Centres, runs a Thrift and Clothing Club, and also at every meeting provides