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7
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
The Maternity and Child Welfare Services are still being maintained,
and the ante-natal clinic has become very busy and overworked,
due to the fact that expectant mothers are making much
greater use of the clinic, and that the majority of women are relying
on the midwifery services, or for hospital treatment for their confinement
.
The number of births which occurred in hospital were 495, in
Nursing Homes 62, attended by midwives 286 and very few by
private practitioners.
The number of ante-natal clinics held is two sessions weekly,
and it appears that early in the New Year it will be necessary to hold
three sessions, part-time help having to be obtained if this additional
clinic is approved by the Council.
The Child Welfare Clinics have been held regularly throughout
the year at four different centres, in two instances the clinics are
held twice a week. The Table on page 9 shows the attendances
at the Welfare Clinics.
Expectant and nursing mothers, and children under five years
of age, are able to obtain milk, either fresh or dried, together with
fruit juices, from the Food Executive Officer, on completing the
appropriate application form.
Midwifery Service.
Expectant mothers can obtain the services of a midwife, if they
wish to have their confinement at home, from the Domiciliary Midwifery
Service, organised by Queen Charlotte's Hospital.
During the year 1942 the Welfare Centres sold 16,269 lbs. of
proprietary dried food, and issued free a very few lbs. The general
public appear to take in a hesitating manner to the National Dried
Milk, which, I understand, is made by various firms who in the
_ past made proprietary brands of dried milk.
The Food Executive Officer for the Borough has supplied me
with the following figures:—
Fruit juices and Cod Liver Oil supplied to
Expectant Mothers 134
Fruit juices and Cod Liver Oil supplied to
children 2,545
Cod Liver Oil only to children 1,043
Dried Milk to children 358