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30
OBSTETRIC SPECIALIST
The scheme whereby the General Practitioners of the district
may call in the help of the Obstetric Unit at the North Middlesex
County Hospital in cases of difficulty during the ante-natal period
or at the confinement, continued throughout the year.
On only one occasion was the Unit called.
HOME HELPS
It was found possible in the early part of the year to recommence
the Home Help Scheme which had fallen into abeyance
during the war years on account of the difficulty experienced in
obtaining women to undertake this type of work. It was a source
of considerable satisfaction to the Department to be able to restart
this scheme, as the need for such domestic assistance in many
homes at the time of confinement was fully realised. Although the
number of Home Helps employed at the end of the year was only
6 full time and 1 part time their services had been greatly appreciated
by the families concerned. The following figures show the
work undertaken:—
36 maternity cases,
4 domestic cases.
BIRTH CONTROL
In accordance with the authority given by the Minister of
Health, your Medical Officers continued to give advice on this
subject to those mothers attending the Maternity and Child Welfare
Centres, for whom further pregnancy would be detrimental to
health.
CIRCULATION OF BOOKLET ON REARING
OF CHILDREN
The booklet on child welfare called "To Mothers and Fathers"
was circulated to all mothers who were to be attended at their
confinement by one of the Council's Midwives, either as a midwife
or maternity nurse, and to all those who were to be admitted to the
North Middlesex County Hospital for their confinement, and also
to those other mothers whose confinements were notified.
ANTE-NATAL CLINICS
During the year 2,077 mothers attended the ante-natal clinics.
The figure for the previous year was 1,719 which shows a considerable
increase in the work involved.