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MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE
This service deals with the ante-natal care of expectant mothers
and the supervision of nursing mothers, and of the children up to the
age of five years.
NOTIFICATION OF BIRTHS.
The 1,087 entries in the Birth Register during the calendar year
included 207 inward transfers, and 139 outward transfers, leaving a
total of 948 entries, less 28 stillbirths; or 920 infants belonging to
Beckenham. The Registrar General gives a figure of 930, calculated
over a slightly different period.
ANTE-NATAL WORK.
In 297 of the 741 births in and belonging to the area, the
services of a private medical practitioner were engaged, and the
remaining 444 were attended by Midwives. It is for these latter
cases that examination and supervision at the Ante-Natal Clinics
is intended, and 231 of these were examined at the Ante-Natal
Clinics.
All assessments for the Maternity Home and district cases are
made through the Office, and a visiting card is made out so that
advice can be given by the Health Visitors ; this work necessitated
381 visits to 274 cases during 1937.
ANTE-NATAL PANEL.
The Scheme approved by the Council whereby the ante-natal
examination of expectant mothers would be conducted by medical
practitioners practising in the district, continued in operation during
the year, and the total attendances were 506 compared with 493
in 1936.
The panel contains the names of 30 Doctors practising in the
district.
During the year the following work was done under the
scheme:—
Sessions held 96
Number of expectant mothers attending for
examination240
Number of attendances made 506
Number of doctors attending 30
17