INFANT WELFARE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 230, 28 September 1936, Page 11

INFANT WELFARE.

PROGRESS IN ENGLAND. Accompanying her husband, Sir Montague Burton, who is a delegate to the Chambers of Commerce Congress, to be held in Wellington, is Lady BufTon, who arrived in Auckland by the Aorangi last evening. Of particular inteiest to Lady Burton is infant welfare work and she was most enthusiastic about the way in which it was being carried out in England. . . No less than amazing, said _ Liady Burton, was the progress made in the last few vears. The infant mortality rate had decreased considerably, and it was a recognised fact that the standard of health in young children had risen enormously. Each city had its own centre, and each centre had branches in various parts of the city. The medical officer of health acted as doctor, and ■each branch was staffed with at least two trained nurses. There were also a great many voluntary workers. A fine system of health education provided by qualified doctors and nurses, was one of the most important aspects of infant welfare work in England, said Lady Burton. It had been recently realised that much unnecessary hardship mio-ht be avoided if the mothers knew, before thejr children were born, the correct methods of feeding and clothing them. The mothers were taught how to take care of themselves and how to mind their children in infancy. Tlicy were also taught how to make things for the infants and she had seen the most attractive cots and beds made out of ordinary butter-boxes-. At the infant welfare branches all the service was given free of charge and the mothers could, if necessary, obtain any patent foods required from the branches at a minimum charge. A charge was made for these foods to free the mothers from any sense that they mio-ht be receiving cliarity. Over 100 babies a day were cared for at the different branches and growing children, as well as infants, received attention.