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Mothers have been more regular in attending, and the results have been correspondingly
satisfactory. There were 49 mothers on the register at the beginning
of the year, and 142 new ones have attended during the year.
10 mothers came from 20 to 40 afternoons, 17 over 10, and 142 from 2 to
10 afternoons.
The work would have been greatly impeded by the large number of
attendances had I not been assisted as before by a friend who has been most
regular in helping on Thursday afternoons.
Ante-natal Work.
The work in connection with these cases has been greatly assisted by the
opening of the Maternity Centre, and many mothers have attributed their fine
babies and improved health to the good regular dinners which have been provided
there.
21 cases attended the centre, and the majority continued as post-natal cases.
These also, when necessary, wait on Tuesday afternoons for advice.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
Of the 15 notified cases, 12 made a complete recovery at home, 1 only was
serious enough to be admitted to hospital and this case died at four months of
marasmus. One removed from the borough two days after notification, and 1
became permanently blind in one eye owing to the parents' obstinacy in not
carrying out the advice given by the doctor and myself.
Puerperal Septicemia.
4 cases were notified, 3 of these were attended at the confinement by doctors
and 1 by a midwife. Three were admitted to hospitals and one of these died.
The others made satisfactory recoveries.
Infantile Diarrhoea.
Eleven cases were brought to my notice, and visited under this heading, but
many others were seen and advised during the ordinary home visiting. Preventive
advice both written and verbal was given in the homes and at the Centres, before
and during the months this disease is prevalent with the result that mothers are
increasingly careful as to precautionary measures, and are not so apt to regard it
as a child's inevitable complaint.
Of the 17 deaths enquired into 12 occurred in Haggerston, and 5 were visited
in Hoxton during the absence of my colleague, Miss Charlesworth, on annual
leave.