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(3) To arrange for suitable institutional treatment for cases
in which difficulty during labour is anticipated, and thereby
to avert injury to infant and mother during parturition.
The attendances during the year again show an increase. The
number of primary attendances was 346, compared with 325 for
1925. Reattendances numbered 659 in 1926, and 640 during 192.5
One hundred sessions were held during the year, making an average
attendance of 10 mothers per session.
Of the mothers attending, 127 were pregnant for the first time.
Expectant mothers attending the Ante-natal Clinic are drawn
from the following classes:—
(a) Patients intending to enter the Upney Maternity Ward
for confinement.
(b) Those engaging with the midwives of the Plaistow Maternity
Charity.
(c) Patients engaging with private midwives.
From the figures given at the beginning of this section of the
report it will be seen that 511 of the live births were attended by
midwives, and of these 346 mothers availed themselves of the
facilities provided by the Clinic, that is, two-thirds of the cases
attended by midwives are under supervision during pregnancy
But in spite of this growing recognition on the part of some of the
mothers of the value of ante-natal supervision, there still remains
a great deal of prejudice which will only be broken down by unremitting
efforts of the health visitors, together with the active
co-operation of the midwives.
The following table gives particulars of cases referred from the
Ante-natal Clinic for hospital or other treatment:—
Syphilis 2 (1 post natal case)
Albuminuria 1
Pyelonephritis 1
Rheumatism I
Pleurisy 1
Chronic Bronchitis 1
Small Pelvis 1