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276
Maternity homes registered for:
1 bed—5 6 beds—1 10 beds—1
2 beds—10 7 beds—4 11 beds—1
3 beds—6 8 beds—1 12 beds—1
4 beds—5 9 beds—1 20 beds—1
5 beds—4
Out of the 41 homes, 34 had certified midwives on their
staffs.
2.—AT BIRTH.
(a) The Work of Midwives.
During the year, 72 midwives notified their intention to
practise within the Borough—an increase of 13 over the number
for the previous year. 65 of these held the certificate of the
Central Midwives Board, 4 of the London Obstetrical Society,
while 3 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 1,723 live births
and 53 still births. Of the total births notified during the year,
57.0 per cent. were notified by midwives.
In 219 instances the midwives summoned medical help for a
variety of conditions affecting mother or child, while 27 other
notifications in connection with still births, artificial feeding, etc.,
were received from midwives.
The Inspector of Midwives, Dr. Olive Falk, paid periodical
visits of inspection to midwives during the year, in addition to
special visits for enquiry into cases of sepsis, ophthalmia neonatorum,
etc.
(b) Maternity Home—St. Mary's Hostel.
17 beds are provided at St. Mary's Hostel by the Croydon
Mothers' and Infants' Welfare Association. Of these, 15 are
retained by the Corporation, priority being given to abnormal
and to necessitous cases. A subsidy of £1,800 per annum is paid
towards the charges of the institution by the Corporation.
294 confinements were conducted at St. Mary's Hostel during
the year. Of these, 277 were booked before admission as
"normal" cases, priority being given to those in necessitous
circumstances or with bad home conditions; 6 were booked before
admission as difficult or abnormal cases; while 8 were admitted
as emergency cases without previous booking; 28 booked as
normal cases had by the time of admission become difficult or
abnormal cases.
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