[Report 1945] / Medical Officer of Health, Middlesbrough County Borough.

  • Middlesbrough (England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1945
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1945] / Medical Officer of Health, Middlesbrough County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    36/96 (page 34)
    Distribution Depot, Dunning Street. The Distribution Depot is widely used and functions well. The only new product introduced during 1945 was a Vitamin B Compound Tablet (Benerva). Reasonable stocks are now more easily obtained and an adequate supply can be kept of rubber teats and valves. ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN. A decrease in the number of illegitimate births is reported for the year. The following Table shows the figures for illegiti¬ mate births for the last six years 1940 • • 119 1941 • • 140 1942 • • 125 1943 • . 190 1944 • • 258 1945 • • .. 223 Attention was drawn by the Ministry of Health arrangements for the welfare, care and supervision of illegitimate children and the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee have had this matter under active consideration and have co-operated with voluntary Moral Welfare Associations undertaking the work in the area. There are two Hostels run by religious organisations for the single girl who is an expectant mother. These are as follows :— Holy Cross Home, Southfield Road.—Accommodation for five mothers and one baby. St. Teresa’s Home, Borough Road.—Accommodation for five expectant mothers and one baby. The mothers and babies are admitted pending other suitable arrangements being made. It is, however, becoming increasingly difficult to make suitable arrangements for the care of these mothers and their babies. In some cases accommodation for the expectant mother is arranged in her own home or in the home of a relative. This is very far from ideal and cases are known where the expectant girl shares a bedroom or even a bed with other members of the family. Under present conditions of over-crowding the question of receiving a mother back into the same room and bed with a young infant produces an impossible situation. It is difficult for girls to obtain suitable lodgings, and the question of a Hostel and Residential Nursery is one of some urgency.