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75
MIDWIFERY SERVICE
(Section 23)
The work of the domiciliary midwifery service has continued
its downward trend during the past year, Although the number of
cases booked for 19 56 appears to be showing a slight increase, it
is too early at this stage to predict any appreciable rise.
The number of midwives practising in the Area has been
reduced to eight, six working in Tottenham and two in Hornsey,
The number of deliveries conducted by County Council midwives
was 421, an average of 52,6 although the number of deliveries for
each midwife was considerably higher, as owing to prolonged sickness
of one midwife, and delay in filling a vacancy, only six
midwives were working for the greater part of the year.
The pupil midwives from the Alexandra Maternity Home have
continued to receive their district training in the Area and a
high standard of midwifery has been maintained.
Every midwifep whether or not employed by the County Council,
has attended an actual demonstration on the use of trichloroethylene,
One such apparatus has been in use for the latter six
months of the year and has been used with success. It is too
early to forecast whether or not this machine will be issued to
every midwife
An apparatus designed for the resuscitation of the new born
has been purchased with a view to its experimental use by means of
introducing oxygen into the infant's stomach,,
Nitrous oxide and air analgesia was used in 80% of cases and
pethidine is now used generally for district midwifery.
It will be gathered from the above paragraphs that more
I
responsibility is being placed upon the midwife and a great deal
of judgment is called for in the.safe handling of modern methods
of analgesia.
The importance of refresher courses increases with the
introduction of new methods and new drugs. Two midwives from
this Area attended one week's residential refresher course in
1955* The courses are approved by the Central Midwives' Board,