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(3) Provision of Home Helps for necessitous mothers confined
at home who require someone to look after the house and the
children during the lying-in period.
(4) Maternity aid, which is given in two forms, either by
providing a midwife for necessitous cases when the confinement
is to take place at home, or by admitting the mother to the Chiswick
and Ealing Maternity Hospital towards the cost of which contributions
are made according to the financial circumstances of the
applicant. In both it is a requirement that any mother accepting
these benefits should be seen by the Ante-Natal Consultant at the
Centre.
(5) Consultant aid is provided for medical practitioners who
may seek the advice or assistance of the Consultant (Dr. J. W. Bell)
in cases of abnormal or complicated labour.
(6) Provision of milk free of charge for nursing or expectant
mothers who are in necessitous circumstances.
(7) Dental treatment at the School Clinic and provision of
artificial dentures for expectant and nursing mothers who are
unable to afford treatment privately.
(8) Investigation of still-births and infant deaths by the
Health Visitors to ascertain the cause and to determine if there are
any measures which can be adopted by the mother in the future to
prevent their occurrence.
(9) Investigation of Puerperal Fever and Maternal Deaths,
The former are investigated by the Health Visitors at the home
and the latter are discussed with the doctors in attendance, who
are always very willing to give the Medical Officer of Health the
fullest information. There were six cases of puerperal fever with
two deaths, giving a puerperal fever death-rate of 2.0 per 1,000
live births and one maternal death, giving a maternal death-rate of
1.0, or both combined a death-rate as a result of child-birth of
3.1 per 1,000 live births.
(10) Collective instruction in hygiene and the making of clothing
for babies and children at the Welfare Centre. This work is
carried out by the Health Visitors who are admirably assisted, as
regards the demonstrations of sewing and the making of clothing,
by Mrs. Cocker, a member of the Maternity and Child Welfare
Committee.