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Miss J. M. Cardozo, Chief Health Visitor, reported as follows-""
Home Visiting.—As usual, this branch of our work is the first line of
attack. Visits to expectant mothers totalled 2,217. Every effort was
made to see that each mother attending the Ante-Natal Clinic kept the
appointment made for her at the Clinic, and this was only possible through
regular and systematic booking and visiting. At the request of the Lady
Almoners of various London Hospitals, homes of expectant mothers were
visited and reports given. Visits were paid in addition to the expectant
mothers who were slow to book or who did not wish to attend the AnteNatal
Clinics. This work of following up "difficult" mothers entails
lot of additional visits and takes up much time, but we feel it is so
important that visits are paid until the confinement takes place.
It is obvious that there are still mothers who do not yet realise the
importance of regular medical supervision for their children. These
mothers do not recognise the first signs of rickets or faulty postured
other errors which, if dealt with at a very early stage, can be remedied to
and so save months of ill-health for the child and many journeys to
hospital for the mother. It is only by visiting that these difficulties can
be overcome.
Clinics.
Ante-Natal.—The attendances have increased, although the number
of births is less and the number of mothers confined in Institutions outside
the Borough has increased.
972 reports, referring to 486 mothers, were sent by the Clinic Medical
Officers, through the Public Health Office, to midwives re mother to be
delivered by them in the Borough. 16 cases were referred by
Medical Officers to hospitals for confinement owing to abnormality
525 reports were sent by the Clinic Medical Officers, through the
Public Health Office, to St. Andrew's Hospital. Of this number
referred to abnormal cases.
Infant Consultation.— The large attendance at all Clinics makes the
work difficult for both the staff and the mothers. Very little teaching