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34
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 and the Chase Farm Hospital
for their confinement, and also to those other mothers whose
confinements were notified.
ANTE-NATAL CLINICS
During the year, 1,731 mothers attended the ante-natal clinics.
This is a decrease of 7 on last year's figures.
POST-NATAL CLINICS
During the course of the year, 309 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, has decreased this year,
and is very disappointing as a post-natal examination may enable
many mothers to avoid ill-health.
INFANT WELFARE CLINICS
The total number of children who made their first attendance
at the Infant Welfare Clinics was 2,002.
VISITS
The Health Visitors paid 895 visits to Expectant Mothers,
4,395 to children under one year of age, and 5,523 to children
between the ages of one and five years.
This field of activity still has scope for development with
adequate Health Visiting Staff. Much of the Health Visitors' time
has been spent in investigating home conditions with a view to
ascertaining the possibility of a home confinement because of
limited Maternity Hospital accommodation, and also in investigating
home conditions of applicants for ie-housing.