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84
Of the 3 maternal deaths during 1926, two were attributed to
Puerperal Sepsis, an improvement on former years. Although only 3
deaths may be regarded as a fairly low figure, it would have been much
more satisfactory to have been able to have reported that no death was
due to this cause.
The problem of the persistency of the mortality rate in connection
with pregnancy and child-birth in this country has been the subject of
much discussion and consideration in recent years.
The principal lines of preventive action which seem to be worthy
of following up are, the placing of specialists at the disposal of the
general practitioners, the provision of hospital beds where necessary,
the improvement of the midwifery service, and the development of the
ante-natal clinic, with the object of seeing that abnormalities are
ascertained and adequately provided for.
In Hampstead, endeavours have been made along all these lines.
Specialists of high standing are available for general practitioners;
hospital accommodation is provided where the specialist and the
practitioner may follow-up their patients; the midwives and the midwifery
service in the Borough is effectively controlled, and is improving
as time goes by; while at the present time nearly one-quarter of the
expectant mothers attend the ante-natal clinics.
With regard to the 3 deaths that occurred in 1926, in one case the
mother had not resided in the Borough for many months, having
passed from one institution to another, but as her last home address was
in Hampstead, the death was allocated to Hampstead in accordance with
the rules of the Registrar-General. In the other two cases the patients
were removed to hospital, and died there.
Consulting Obstetricians.—The scheme which the Council inaugurated,
whereby the services of obstetricians of definite consulting status were
made available in cases of difficulty or abnormality, has been in operation
since May, 1926.
The terms of the scheme are as follows:—
(а) That the patient be a Hampstead citizen.
(b) That the medical practitioner immediately inform the
Medical Officer of Health that he has called in the services
of one of the Consulting Obstetricians, giving the name
and address of the patient, dats of the call, the reason, and
the result.