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111
At the Holborn Centre, No. 10 John Street, 4,802 attendances were made by
236 mothers and 77 expectant mothers, and 485 children, of whom 236 were under
one year, 87 between one and two years old, and 162 aged 2-5 years on the date
of their first attendance.
At the St. Giles' Centre, Short's Gardens, 591 attendances were made by 45
mothers and 91 children, of whom 55 were under one year, 12 from one to two
years and 24 between two and five years.
Ante-Natal Hygiene.
Under the scheme for the voluntary notification of pregnancy which came into
force in January, 1928, 81 voluntary notifications were received during 1930 as
compared with 124 in 1929. All these expectant mothers, as well as those already
known to the Health Visitors through other sources, were visited in their homes
and informed, both verbally and by means of a leaflet, of the special facilities
available in Holborn; they also received instruction in the hygiene of pregnancy.
Confinement in Institutions in Relation to Housing Conditions.
Expectant mothers whose home circumstances make "confinement at home
especially undesirable are advised to enter hospital for confinement. In order to
provide accommodation for those who are willing to take this advice an arrangement
has been made with one of the principal Maternity Hospitals within reach
of Holborn to accept normal cases on social grounds only.
Since November, 1929, special records have been kept of the home conditions
of 173 expectant mothers visited, each case being followed up either to a successful
issue or until it became clear that the woman would not enter hospital.
Of the 78 who went into hospital:—
37 (14 primiparse) lived in a one-roomed home;
41 (24 primiparse) lived in a two or more roomed home.
Of the 95 who remained at home: —
16 (4 primiparse) lived in a one-roomed home;
53 (6 primiparse) lived in two rooms;
26 (2 primiparse) lived in more commodious premises.