| AdminHistory | The Maternity and Infant Welfare Sub-Committee was appointed in November 1915, and reported, firstly, to the Public Health and Housing Committee, and continued to report to the Public Health Committee after June 1917. It consisted of six members of the main committee, and its function was to advise its main parent body on maternity and infant welfare matters, which had become more acute since the outbreak of World War One. The sub-committee would take control of the Health Visitors, where the work related to infant welfare, and administered the Notification of Births Act, 1915, which made it compulsory to notify the Medical Officer of Health of all births. The sub-committee also took control the Infant Consultation Clinics and administered the Midwives Act, 1902, which created the Central Midwives Board. This allowed the committee to take responsibility for the registration of midwives, implementing rules for their training and examination, as well as regulation of their practice. The board also limited the use of the term 'midwife', and made the councils of the counties and county boroughs the local supervising authorities (see BCC/1/BM/1, Public Health Committee). After December 1920, this sub-committee reported to the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee (see BCC/1/BV). |