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Defects
Total number
1967
1966
Central nervous system 8 9
Eye and ear 1 5
Alimentary system 4 13
Heart and great vessels 4 6
Respiratory system Nil 1
Urogenital system 5 7
Limbs 30 40
Other skeletal defects 2 6
Other systems and malformations 7 10
Multiple malformations 2 4
DOMICILIARY MIDWIFERY
The Council's arrangements for providing domiciliary midwifery
service have continued unaltered throughout 1967. Home confinements
have been attended by the Council's six midwives and the midwives of
Queen Charlotte's Hospital. "Early discharges" have been nursed by
the midwives of the Kensington District Nursing Association in the
north of the borough, and by the Council's midwives in the Chelsea
and South Kensington areas.
The falling birth rate and the increasing popularity of hospital
confinements have again resulted in fewer births taking place at
home, In 1967, there were 139 domiciliary deliveries as against 236
in 1966, a fall of 4l%. Of the total, 100 cases were attended by
the Council's midwives and, of these, only 4 had to be dealt with as
emergencies because no doctor had been booked or other arrangements
made for ante-natal care or confinement.
The number of "planned early discharges" in 1967 was 112,
compared with 131 in 1966. Hospitals generally are not in favour
of sending patients home early in the puerperium. They accepted the
early discharge scheme as a matter of expediency when there was a
shortage of maternity beds, rather than as a desirable practice.
Now that there is no pressure on maternity beds. it is possible that
patients are not being encouraged to return home so soon after
delivery.
"Unplanned early discharges" also show a reduction in numbers
from 70 in 1966 to 63 in 1967, a trend which it is hoped will
continue.