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43
(e) Maternity Outfits.
Maternity outfits are provided at two of the voluntary Infant
Centres (West Croydon and St. Alban's), consisting of sheets and
other articles required at the confinement, and clothing for the
infant.
Realising the unsatisfactory conditions under which confinements
must often be conducted in the poorer homes, the Committee
decided towards the end of the year to provide on request, at wholesale
cost price, suitable maternity outfits containing the essentials
for a confinement. These became available to medical practitioners
and midwives for (heir patients early in 1925.
(f) Registration and Inspection of Maternity Homes.
Under the Croydon Corporation Act, 1924, registration of
maternity homes became compulsory as from January 1st, 1925.
The arrangements in connection with the matter will therefore be
detailed in the next report.
3.—AT BIRTH.
(a) The Work of Midwives.
During the year, 58 midwives notified their intention to practise
within the Borough—an increase of 2 over the number for the
previous year. 47 of these held the certificate of the Central Midwives
Board, 5 of the London Obstetrical Society, while 6 were
in "bona fide" practice in 1901.
No midwives in the Borough are subsidised by the local
authority.
During the year midwives notified a total of 1,677 live births
and 43 still births. Of the total births notified during the year,
47 per cent. were notified by midwives.
In 222 instances the midwives summoned medical help for a
variety of conditions affecting mother or child, while 34 other notifications
in connection with still births, artificial feeding, etc., were
received from midwives.
The Superintendent of Midwives paid 263 visits of inspection
during the year, in addition to special visits for enquiry into cases
of sepsis, ophthalmia neonatorum, etc.; while a special visit of
inspection to each midwife was made during the year by Dr. Emslie,
in company with the Superintendent of Midwives.