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67
Confinement in Institutions in Relation to Housing Conditions.
Expectant mothers whose home circumstances make confinement at home
especially undesirable are advised to enter hospital for confinement. In order to
provide accommodation for those who are willing to take this advice an arrangement
has been made with one of the principal Maternity Hospitals within reach
of Holborn to accept normal cases on domestic grounds only.
Special records have been kept of the home conditions of 168 expectant
mothers visited during 1937, each case being followed up either to a successful
issue or until it became clear that the woman would not enter hospital.
Of the 116 who went into hospital:—
17 (7 primigravidse) lived in a one-room home;
99 (60 primigravidse) lived in a two or more roomed home.
Of the 52 who remained at home :—
4 (3 primigravidse) lived in a one-roomed home;
29 (5 primigravidse) lived in two rooms;
19 lived in three or more rooms.
Baths.
The baths provided at the John Street Centre for expectant and nursing
mothers were used 179 times during the year 1937.
Ante-natal Centres.
During the year, enquiries were made of mothers as to their attendance at an
Ante-natal Centre immediately previous to the birth of the child visited. Of '294
mothers, about whom information was obtained, 257 (87 per cent.) were found to
have attended Ante-natal Centres or received ante-natal care as under:—
Number of enquiries made 304
Centre Attended:—
Holborn Centre, 10, John Street 14
Holborn Centre, Short's Gardens 11
Royal Free Hospital 19
Middlesex Hospital 11
Charing Cross Hospital 31
University College Hospital 33
Myddelton Square Institution 17
St. Bartholomew's Hospital 24
City of London Hospital 29
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital 1
St. Pancras Hospital 19
Other Centres 24
Ante-natal care from private doctors 21
Private midwives 3
257
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