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42
MOTHERS' CLINIC.
This clinic, established to give birth control
advice to married women within the terms of the
memoranda of the Ministry of Health, is held every
month. The average attendance is higher than last
year. Every mother receives a complete physical
and gynaecological examination at her first attendance,
when it is decided if she is eligible for such
advice.
Subsequent attendances should be made every
third month to make sure everything is satisfactory.
It is difficult to make mothers realise the value and
importance of these " follow-up " attendances, for
an error of technique or any inadequacy of equipment
may result in a pregnancy. Those mothers who are
wise enough to attend regularly show a remarkable
improvement in appearance and general health and
their accounts of the happier atmosphere in their
homes since attending the clinic are encouraging.
In one respect this clinic differs from all others
arranged by the Council in that the numbers attending
it are cumulative. Once a mother has attended
she will return from time to time over a number of
years. Records of the year's attendances are given,
the cases analysed and the incidence of pregnancy
recorded for those cases attending in 1935. The total
number of mothers on our books is the factor that
must be considered in relation to the total incidence
of pregnancy in order to get a just estimate of the
value of the work done in this clinic.
It is well to remember that in many cases our
aim is achieved if an adequate period of rest for
recuperation between pregnancies be secured for
some of these mothers.
Attendances have been as follows :—
January
28
February
24
March
32
April
18