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3. Many families in the northern part of the borough are of the migratory type; they come
and, go before the various maternity and child welfare agencies can get into touch
with them.
4. In the year 1932 there was great economic depression, which must have had a detrimental
effect on the health of many mothers and children.
5. There is evidence of lack of knowledge or indifference amongst some of the poorer mothers
in regard to infant feeding.
6. The importance and value of breast feeding need to be more fully stressed.
7. There is evidence that a number of mothers were anxious to avoid childbirth and took
steps to terminate pregnancy by methods which may have been injurious to the
health of themselves and their unborn children.
8. The employment of expectant and nursing mothers on occupations outside the home
does not appear to have had a detrimental effect upon the health of their infants.
9. There is a need for continued and increased efforts on the part of the borough council
and the various voluntary agencies in regard to the education of working.class mothers
on matters relating to domestic hygiene, the importance of ante.natal care, infant
feeding and child welfare.
10. The number of infant welfare centres and ante.natal clinics in the borough is adequate
as is also the health visiting staff, but the ante.natal service should be reorganised in
such a way that it will attract a larger proportion of expectant mothers to the clinics
and secure their more regular attendance than has been the case hitherto.
MATERNAL MORTALITY.
In 1933, there were eight deaths of Kensington women from diseases or accidents directly
connected with childbirth, and this figure represents a death rate of 3.5 per 1,000 births. The rate
for England and Wales for 1933 was 4.42. Puerperal fever was the cause of three of the Kensington
deaths, whilst accidents associated with pregnancy were responsible for the other five.
Although the maternal death rate of 3.5 shows a decline on the figure for the previous year
and is slightly lower than the average for recent years, it is still too high. As an outcome of the
investigations into the high infant mortality rate, the council were of the opinion that an improvement
could be effected in the ante.natal service by the appointment of a whole.time medical officer to
conduct the whole of the work of the various ante.natal clinics. The attendances of mothers at
the Kensington clinics for some years has been low. It is tme that a large number of women receive
ante.natal care from Oueen Charlotte's hospital and St. Mary Abbots hospital, whilst others are
attended by their own private doctors, but nevertheless the ante.natal clinics co.ordinated in the
council's scheme can accommodate many more women.
It is hoped that the appointment of a whole.time ante.natal medical officer will secure
a close contact between the clinics and the maternity homes and hospitals, and extend the
usefulness of the work. The new doctor will also have time to study local conditions and
administration, and to confer frequently with the medical officer of health. She will be able to
conduct more ante.natal sessions than hitherto at the institutions and in this way it is hoped to
make a material increase in the number of attendances thereat.
On the 27th March, 1934, the council appointed Violet I. Russell, M.D., M.C.O.G., M.B..
B.S., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., to the position, and this officer will commence her duties in July next.