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48
both ante-natal and post-natal cases at the Pond Street Clinic each
week. The following figures, therefore, have been partly contributed
by her.
During last year 375 new patients attended the Clinics as against
401 in 1937. The number of births in the Borough was 1,059 in 1938,
as against 1,015 in 1937. It is calculated, therefore, that 34 per cent.
of Hampstead's expectant mothers received ante-natal care at the
Council's Clinics.
We are thankful to record that during the last seven years, no
death in childbirth has occurred in a series of 2,422 expectant mothers
attending the Clinics during that period. Since the year 1929 there
have been two maternal deaths in a series of 3,049 expectant mothers
which gives a maternal mortality rate of only 65 per 1,000 during a
ten year period (the maternal mortality rate for England and Wales
being 3.12 per 1,000 in 1937). This happy result has only been
achieved, of course, by constant co-operation with the Hospitals where
many of these women were confined as well as with the District Midwives
in Hampstead and not only shews the value of ante-natal care
but is a tribute also to the work of the doctors and nurses in the
particular Hospitals concerned as well as to the work of the District
Midwives.
In view of recent research work, too, there seems to be no doubt
that the adequate provision of milk for needy expectant mothers (and
latterly, extra nourishment in the form of butter and eggs, when
necessary) has played its part in keeping our maternal mortality rateso
low. In this connection also, it is of interest to note that the neonatal
death rate amongst Hampstead infants whose mothers had
attended the Clinics, remained comparatively low in 1938, viz., 13 per
1.000 as against 29 per 1,000 for England and Wales in 1937. The
neo-natal death rate, so-called, is the death rate amongst infants in the
first month of life and it is believed that it can be lowered considerably
by ante-natal care and provision for the proper nutrition of the
expectant mother.
The number of still births amongst Clinic patients last year was 4,
which gives a still birth rate of 10 per 1,000. This, too, compares
favourably with the still birth rale for England and Wales which was
39 per 1,000 in 1937.