ABSTRACT
Measures for the protection of mother and child were being promoted by public health authorities and voluntary agencies for a number of years before the Great War. The introduction of medical inspection of school children in 1907 in a few years showed the terrible amount of disease with which young children when they reached school age were already handicapped, and thus gave valuable impetus to increased activity in preventive measures at earlier ages. In 1909, the Notification of Births Act came into force throughout London, and was adopted rapidly in the rest of England. Maternity and Child Welfare Act of 1918 imposed statutory duties on every local authority undertaking maternity and child welfare work. In 1919 the Local Government Board was merged into the Ministry of Health, and infant and maternity work has continued progressively to increase. The rapid growth of this work may be illustrated by the increasing number of health visitors employed, and of special child welfare centres.
