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40
MATERNITY CLINIC, HEREFORD STREET.
Dr. K. M. Horton reports with regard to the
Maternity Clinic at the Hereford Street Centre, as
follows :—
This clinic is held once weekly on Thursday mornings
and ante-natal and post-natal cases are seen. A
steady attendance has characterised the year's work,
our average attendance being higher than last year.
Pleasant and satisfactory co-operation with doctors in the
borough and local hospitals has continued. The tendency
for mothers to be delivered in hospitals in steadily increasing,
and has more than doubled this year at this particular
clinic. All these institutions have their own maternity
out-patients' department and increasing numbers of the
mothers attend them.
One case of eclampsia occurred with sudden onset after
labour at home. She was immediately transferred to hospital.
One stillbirth is recorded, occurring in a case of placenta
prævia successfully treated in hospital. The one miscarriage
occurred at the third month. This mother had had seven
pregnancies and a history of toxaemia of pregnancy and previous
miscarriage.
One mother was found at the clinic to have advanced
heart disease. She was referred to hospital, where the pregnancy
was terminated and hysterectomy performed. Another
mother with a fibroid lung and under continuous supervision
at the Royal Chest Hospital went to term successfully and
had a normal delivery and satisfactory recovery.
Re-attendances have been good and it is pleasant to
record that many mothers who have already attended in
previous pregnancies have come back to us at the beginning
of their next one.
Post-natal work shows a small increase on last year
and it is satisfactory, for every mother attending diminishes
the possibility of discomfort or disability after delivery and
may secure the satisfaction of knowing that all is well with
her. One mother who attended our clinic for post-natal
examination had an early carcinoma and she was referred
to hospital, where an immediate operation was performed
with a good prospect of complete cure.