View report page

83
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE CONSULTATIONS.
There are 18 Maternity and Child Welfare Centres, l6 of
which are *conducted by the Croydon Mothers' and Infants'
Welfare Association and 2 by the local authority. A total of 23
sessions per week are held and at these a doctor and one, or, if
necessary, two health visitors, on the staff of the Health Department
attend.
During 1945, 3,056 new cases under 1 year of age and 823
over 1 year of age attended for the first time; the total of attendances
of infants and young children from 0—5 years increased
from 50,884 in 1944 to 65,707 in 1945. Consultations with doctors
increased from 17,034 to 21,613. 49 expectant mothers were seen,
an increase of 4 on 1944, and a total of 339 visits to the Centres
was paid by them. The total of all visits to the Centres was 66,106,
an increase of 9,013 compared with 1944.
The highest average attendance of mothers and babies at
each session was recorded at St. Stephen's (93.4), Norbury (81.5),
Bensham Manor (78.9), Selhurst (75.6), South Croydon (75.5),
Municipal (73.9).
Dental Treatment.
Maternity and Child Welfare Patients.
Expectant and nursing mothers and children below school
age are referred by Medical Officers attending Ante-Natal
Clinics and Infant Welfare Centres. .Since the inauguration of
the Municipal Midwives Service applications for dental treatment
have also been received in increasing numbers from this source.
Treatment for the above has progressed very satisfactorily.
In spite of more patients than ever before being referred, extra
sessions now available permit cases to be dealt with more
rapidly than hitherto, and thus only a very small minority
remained uninspected at the termination of the year.
One verv concrete result of this "speeding up" of examination
has been that elimination of sepsis can be carried out much
earlier in the confinement than was the case a few vears ago,
thus greatly enhancing the value of treatment. A very substantial
proportion now begin their treatment between the third
and fourth month, and, as recorded below, over 80 per cent, were
seen during the first six months of pregnancy.