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MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
The Borough Council's Scheme of Maternity and Child
Welfare includes the following activities:—
1. The provision of two maternity wards, each containing
six beds.
2. The provision of three Municipal Centres.
3. financial assistance to 6 of the 7 Voluntary Centres
undertaking infant and maternity work in the Borough.
4. The home visiting of expectant and nursing mothers and
children.
5. Convalescent Home treatment for mothers and infants.
6. The provision of home nursing for sick mothers and
infants.
7. The supply of milk free or at half price to necessitous
mothers and children.
8. Arrangements for the care of unmarried mothers in
Homes.
9. The distribution of pamphlets giving advice on various
matters affecting the health and welfare of mothers and infants.
Municipal Maternity Ward.
The confinements in the Municipal Ward for the year totalled
300, and the number of births 305. Of this number 255 patients
had a normal confinement. Of the abnormal confinements labour
had to be induced in 8 cases—three post-maturity and five for
disproportion; 30 patients required forceps delivery; 2 Caesarean
sections were carried out—one dwarf and one disproportion.
There were also 4 breech deliveries and one case of eclampsia.
Ante-Natal Clinic.
The attendances of the Council's patients at the ante-natal
clinic at St. Giles' Hospital numbered 1,665.
This is indeed satisfactory, as such examinations provide
means by which so many of the complications of pregnancy and
child-birth can be foreseen and either prevented or successfully
treated before confinement.
The following summary of the number and nature of the
conditions found as a result of these examinations is evidence of
the value of this side of the work of the Municipal Scheme:—
80 patients were found to have a small pelvis. Of these 69
had a normal delivery; labour had to be induced in 5
instances; delivery by forceps in 4 cases was necessary
and 2 Caesarean sections had to be performed.
10 breech lies were discovered and turned.
46 patients suffered from albuminuria, and all yielded to
treatment before confinement with the exception of 2
severe cases, which were admitted to the General Ward.
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