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PERSONAL HEALTH SERVICES
CARE OF MOTHERS AND YOUNG CHILDREN
Maternity and Child Welfare
There has again been a fall in the total number of births in the
borough, In 1967, 3,188 births were notified compared with 3,454 in
1966 and this fall of 7.7% continues the trend observed in 1966. when
notified births fell by 7.5% from the 1965 figure.
With this steady fall in the total births, there has been a gradual
rise in the proportion which take place in hospital. Thus, in 1965,
91% of the total births took place in hospital. In 1966, this had
risen to 93% and in 1967, 3,023 out of 3,188 or 95% were hospital
confinements.
This relatively high and increasing proportion of hospital confinements
is due partly to the ready availability of hospital accommodation
in this area and partly to the general acceptance of both medical and
lay opinion that babies should be born in hospital.
Since the introduction of the maternity 'catchment areas' in
1964. this part of London has been particularly well endowed with
beds. With the fall in the number of births, there has been a
reduction in the number of 'priority' cases and more beds have been
released for, and have been taken up, by women who would have otherwise
been considered suitable for home confinemento
As might be expected with fewer births, the attendances at
ante-natal clinics have fallen and at one centre where attendances
were particularly low one weekly session was discontinued.
Attendances at the Council's child welfare centres have also
fallen. In 1966, the fall in attendances was restricted to children
under one year old, but in 1967, the three year decline in the number
of births has been reflected in the higher age groups and attendances
by children over one year and at the special 'toddler' sessions have
also been reduced.
In addition, many children are now attending clinics held at the
surgeries of general practitioners to whom the Council's health visitors
have been attached. Thus, in mid-1966, a health visitor was attached
to a group practice in the South Kensington area and throughout 1967,
she saw at the surgery, an average of 25 children a week, who would
previously have attended the Council's centre.
1967
1966
Ante-natal and post-natal clinics:
Total number of sessions 692 779
Total attendances 3,737 4,722
Number of women attending during year -
Ante-natal 1,073 1,340
Post-natal 6 23
Child Welfare clinics:
Total number of sessions
(infant welfare and toddlers) 1,420 1,401
Total attendances 26,269 29,913
Number of children attending during year-
Born in 1967 2,289 2,540
Bom in 1962/66 3,819 4,252
Total attendances at special
Toddlers Clinics 2,778 2,976