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Maternity and Child Welfare.
Steady progress has characterised this section of public
health work and there will be still further progress when the
new conjoint clinic is built. It is gratifying to record an increase
in the attendances at the Centres, more especially in
regard to the Lectures to Mothers and in the Ante-natal Clinic.
The value of these two sections cannot be over-emphasised.
The thanks of the staff are due to the ladies who so kindly
give their voluntary services to what may be termed the
social "side of the work, for this establishes contact with
the mothers and leads to greater co-operation in the medical
side of welfare work.
Maternal Mortality:—The crusade at present being conducted
to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity should prove
of great service, but it must be remembered that results cannot
be obtained at once, nor will the only remedy be found in the
provision of maternity homes and hospitals.
The two deaths of Wimbledon mothers during 19.27
occurred in hospitals where the best attention was given. It is
possible that both lives might have been saved had suitable
measures been taken before the confinement began, and
therein lies the necessity for ante-natal consultations. Education
of expectant mothers, with careful medical examinations, are
necessary, and the problem is to find some way of inducing all
mothers to seek advice beforehand, and not to rely on the
notion that the confinement will be a natural and simple
process.

There were no deaths from measles, or whooping cough,
and no cases of epidemic diarrhoea notified.
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