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A very important part of the Municipal scheme is the antenatal
supervision of the mother, so that any abnormal conditions
of pregnancy may be detected and the necessary treatment given.
During the past two years 1,411 ante-natal examinations have
been carried out, and 71 patients were found to be in need of
treatment during pregnancy. Many of these cases would doubtless
have presented difficulties and possible risk of injury to
the mother and child at the time of confinement but for the
correctional treatment beforehand.
The value of institutional treatment can therefore be appreciated
if considered in the light of the possible cost to the community
as a whole in having to assume the financial responsibility
of maintaining cripples and chronic invalids, which may result
from inattention before and at the time of confinement.
In November of the year under review a report was submitted
to the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee in which
I reviewed the work of the Ward from the opening date. Therein
I suggested that the education given to the mother before and
during the confinement should be supplemented by instruction
in the care of the health of her infant during the first years of its
life. This instruction can, of course, be obtained at the Infant
Welfare Centres, but for the benefit of those mothers who, for
domestic or other reasons, are unable to attend, I obtained
authority to invite every Municipal patient to purchase at the
Public Health Department a small booklet entitled "To Wives
and Mothers," issued by the National League for Health,
Maternity and Child Welfare, 117, Piccadilly, W., in order that
she might have at hand a simple guide on questions relating to
the care and management of infants.
Maternal Mortality.
The question of the high mortality associated with childbirth
has received much attention at the hands of the medical
profession during the past five years. Valuable information has
been made available on this subject in the report of Dr. Janet
Campbell on Maternal Mortality, which was published in 1924,
and the report on Maternal Morbidity and Mortality issued by
the Scottish Board of Health in the same year.
As the result of Dr. Campbell's report the Ministry of Health
issued a Circular drawing attention to the number of maternal
deaths which takes place annually in this country, and the means
whereby Local Authorities could assist to bring about an improvement
in the death rate from this cause.
The Circular in question sets out the importance of educational
measures, ante-natal supervision and the provision of
maternity beds as definite agencies towards this end.