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1938] 32
MUNICIPAL MATERNITY CONSULTATIVE CLINIC.
This Clinic has been conducted by Mr. R. Christie Brown, F.R.C.S. Two clinics
a month were arranged at the Miriam Price Coleman Clinics Centre, Scholefield
Road, N.19, the cases being referred by doctors and midwives as under :—
Number of Sessions held 8
„ Attendances18
EMERGENCY MATERNITY UNIT.
The Emergency Maternity Unit, which is described in the Annual Report for
the year 1937, consists of two doctors and a midwife, one of the doctors being of a
consultant standing. This staff is prepared to go out with the necessary equipment
at any time to a home when it would be dangerous for the mother to be removed to
hospital for treatment, as in the case of acute haemorrhage.
During the year this arrangement, initiated by the Borough of Islington, in
conjunction with University College Hospital, was extended to Area " B " of the
London County Council's midwives' districts, comprising, in addition to Islington,
the City of London and the Boroughs of Finsbury, Holborn and St. Pancras, and
negotiations were completed in 1939 for having a similar unit stationed at
St. Bartholomew's Hospital. Each borough in Area " B " can therefore make an
" Emergency Call " at either hospital.
There were no calls for the Emergency Unit during the year 1938.
COUNCIL'S CONSULTANT FOR OBSTETRIC CASES.
The services of the Council's Consultant were sought on 1 occasion during the
year. This was on account of a difficult confinement.
MATERNAL MORTALITY.
The number of women dying, pregnancy being a factor, during the year 1938
was 18. Our investigations showed 5 to be classifiable as Puerperal Sepsis and 7
from other puerperal causes. These 12 cases would give a Maternal Mortality Rate
of 2.60 per 1,000 registered (" live " and " still ") births. In addition, there were
6 deaths of pregnant women from the following :—2 from Forms of Violence, 1 from
Intestinal Obstruction, 2 from Heart Disease, and 1 from Pneumonia. Taking the
deaths as 18 would give a rate of 3.9. (See Table p. 33.)
A Table showing such investigations from 1911 is given. For details of the
Maternal Deaths for the year 1938, see pages 33 and 34.
The deaths for the preceding year numbered 20, and were equal to the proportion
of 4.3 per 1,000 registered births.