View report page

125
Sterilised Maternity Outfits.
In 1933 a scheme was inaugurated in the Borough by which the Welfare Centres, in
co-operation with their Voluntary Committees, could supply Sterilised Maternity Outfits to
expectant mothers at reduced charges. This scheme has now been extended and the Borough
Council, through the Centres, supplies these outfits to necessitous women at cost price, half
this price or free of charge according to the family circumstances. During 1938 fifty-eight
outfits were supplied through this Scheme and fifty-four of these were given free of charge.
Home Helps.
A subsidy is paid by the Borough Council to a Voluntary Committee for the provision
of Home Helps in necessitous families.
The term Home Helps is used to describe women who render domestic assistance in
the homes of women who are unable to undertake their own household duties for reasons of
sickness or child-birth. The usual period of this attention is two weeks.
The management is in the hands of a Voluntary Committee, on which the Council is
represented by two members. Dr. Pritchard attends Committee meetings as Liaison Officer.
An annual grant of £250 is made by the Borough Council for use in respect of
maternity cases only.
Four permanent "Helps" were employed throughout the year, and ten temporary
" Helps " for emergency cases.
103 cases were dealt with during the year, 97 being maternity and six sickness cases.
Puerperal Fever and Pyrexia.
The Borough Council provides Consultants' services, bacteriological investigation and
skilled nursing in connection with cases developing Puerperal Fever or Puerperal Pyrexia.
Hospital accommodation is also available for these cases.
Post-natal care.
There are no clinics devoted specially to this work. Post-natal cases are seen on
occasion at the ante-natal clinics, but the time at these is generally fully occupied.
The question of further provision for post-natal care merits attention.
PUERPERAL PYREXIA AND PUERPERAL FEVER.
Puerperal Pyrexia is defined as any febrile condition other than a condition which is
required to be notified as Puerperal Fever, occurring in a woman within 21 days after
childbirth or miscarriage, in which a temperature of 100.4° F., or more, has been sustained
during a period of 24 hours or has recurred during that period. Puerperal Fever has not
been defined in the same definite manner.
In 1938 there were 37 notifications of Puerperal Pyrexia and seven notifications of
Puerperal Fever. After the usual investigations had been made, some of these cases were
re-allocated, and the figures finally accepted were:—
Puerperal Pyrexia 31 cases
Puerperal Fever 13 cases