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41
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE
Report by the Medical Officer in Charge of the Maternity and Child Welfare Department (Miss Ruby
Thomson, M.B., Ch.B., D.P.H.) on the Work of the Department.
My Report for 1937 was largely concerned with the great evolution of the work of the Maternity
and Child Welfare Department rendered possible by the erection of the Maternity Home and Health
Centre at Parson's Green. Duiing 1938 the work has been consolidated and developed, and we
may safely claim that the Fulham scheme compares favourably with any in the kingdom.
Owing to the scope of the work of the Maternity Home and the necessity for more clinic
sessions, a second resident Medical Officer—Dr. Marjorie Swain—was appointed in February. Upon
her promotion, when Dr. Freeborn resigned, Dr. Mary Watson became Assistant Resident Medical
Officer.
An extra clerk was also appointed for Maternity and Child Welfare work early in the year.
A further step was the Council's decision to appoint a Consulting Obstetrician for the Maternity
Home. It was later arranged that he should conduct a monthly consultative ante-natal session at
Parson's Green clinic To this may be referred any patient from the other ante-natal clinics, when a
second opinion is desired.
The investigation regarding the nutrition of expectant and nursing mothers, which Dr. Lilli
Meyer-Wedell began in 1936, continued throughout the year and has somewhat extended its scope.
Dr. Meyer-Wedell devotes approximately three whole days each week to voluntary work in the
Borough for this purpose.
The Keep Fit Class for mothers conducted by a member of the London County Council staff
was found to be so successful at Parson's Green, that an additional session was opened at Greyhound
Road Centre.
During the year the Council assumed entire responsibility for the Fulham Babies' Hospital.
HEALTH VISITORS.
The work of the Department is based on the provisions of the Public Health (London) Act,
1936, and a large proportion of the work of the Health Visitors is directly dependent on Section 255,
which makes compulsory the notification of every birth to the Medical Officer of Health within
thirty-six hours. The Health Visitor calls as soon as the period of attendance by the doctor or midwife
has ended.
The Health Visitor also visits women in the Borough who are booked to enter maternity
wards of hospitals. The hospital Almoners send lists of such cases, and by this means the Department
gets into touch with many pregnant women who would otherwise remain unknown until after the
confinement.
Much of the success of the work of the Department depends upon the first visit of the Health
Visitor to the home. The contact she establishes (and let it be remembered that the Health Visitor
has no "right of entry" into any house) and the confidence which she creates in the mother, or potential
mother, forms the first link between that mother and the Maternity and Child Welfare Department.
Advice is given on the general management of pregnancy and of all children under five years
of age. The Health Visitors visit also all cases of ophthalmia neonatorum: puerperal pyrexia: all
cases of measles (which is notifiable in the Borough) in children under five years: and epidemic
diarrhoea: and give advice in such cases as may be desirable.
The Health Visitor is a friend of the family, and matters upon which she is consulted are many
and varied. Anything which affects the well-being of the home is her concern, and she constantly
lays emphasis on the importance of medical supervision of the apparently well child.