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49
HEALTH TALKS AT WELFARE CENTRES.
One hundred and twenty five Health talks to mothers
have been given during the year by the Health Visitors. It
has been found easier to use the waiting time at the Antenatal
Clinic for this purpose than at the Infant Consultations,
as the mothers usually have no children with them at
these clinics and as no weighing has to be done. Both,
factors are against the quiet atmosphere necessary for the
speaker to be heard and understood by the audience.
The subjects of the talk? have been varied, but may be
grouped under four headings:—
1. The Auxiliary Services, i.e., Home Helps, Maternity
Outfits, etc.
2. Food Values, including cookery, planning the family
budget, menus, etc.
3. Labour Saving Methods, care of the child, the
making of garments, arrangements in the home, etc.
4. Safety First, dustbins, fireguards, cots, reins for
toddlers, treatment of minor ailments, etc.
The talks have been appreciated by many of the
mothers, who make comments and criticise them with
interest both at the time and subsequently.
BOROUGH MIDWIFERY SERVICE.
The Borough Midwife had 28 bookings carried
forward from 1931. During 1932, 131 bookings were
received, of which 9 were subsequently cancelled, 8 for
confinement in hospital and 1 because of removal from
the Borough. During the year 121 mothers were
attended, 90 by the Borough Midwife (5 of whom she
found it necessary to take to hospital while in labour),
and 31 by a private midwife acting as her deputy.
These figures include 2 unbooked cases in which the
Borough Midwife attended in emergency and which
were removed to hospital. In 3 cases a doctor was
engaged by the patient as well as the Borough Midwife.
Of the mothers delivered, 6 were primiparae and 110
multiparse. There were 31 expectant mothers on the
books at the end of the year.
The Borough Midwife or her deputy paid 1,260
visits in connection with her practice and 25 other