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22
ANTE-NATAL CLINICS
During the year 1,719 mothers attended the ante-natal clinics.
The figure for the previous year was 1,535 which shows a considerable
increase in the work involved.
POST-NATAL CLINICS
During the course of the year, 425 mothers attended the PostNatal
Clinics for examination. This examination takes place by
appointment six weeks after the confinement, and is an attempt to
ensure that complete return to normal health is made.
The appointments are given to every mother whose confinement
has been conducted under the responsibility of one of the
Council's Midwives, and also to every mother whose confinement
takes place in the North Middlesex County Hospital. Appointments
are not made where the confinement has been conducted by
a Private Practitioner unless specially asked for by them.
The number of mothers availing themselves of this valuable
and in some cases most necessary service is on the whole disappointing,
as a post-natal examination may enable many mothers to avoid
ill-health, and disappointment.
INFANT WELFARE CLINICS
The total number of children who made their first attendance
at the Infant Welfare Clinics was 1,962.
VISITS
The Health Visitors paid 835 visits to Expectant Mothers,
3,849 to children under one year of age, and 6,333 to children
between the ages of one and five years.
The number of visits paid by the Health Visitors for all
purposes shows a marked increase over the previous year. The full
benefit of these visits has, unfortunately, not been attained, as much
of the time is spent in investigating home conditions with a view
to ascertaining the possibility of a home confinement. This has
been caused by the acute shortage of hospital maternity accommodation.
It is hoped that it will soon be possible for the Health
Visitors to utilise their time on proper home visiting in which they
can advise and demonstrate to the mothers in their own homes the
various aspects of child welfare. It seems inevitable, however, that
for some time to come this aspect of the Health Visitors' work may
not receive that full attention which is the very essence of their
activities.