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these premises. Advice and supplies are paid for by the Council
in the existence of medical reasons for avoiding childbirth.
Family planning advice is further available from family
doctors, and specialist advice at hospital gynaecological outpatient
departments.
Cervical Cytology
The local authority part of this service was provided at
combined sessions with family planning at six clinics in the
Borough. The number of smears taken at these clinics was 1813.
Two suspicious results were found and the ladies concerned
referred immediately for full hospital investigation. 182 minor
conditions were revealed by these examinations.
Hospital out-patient departments, family doctors and the
Family Planning Association doctors also take-cervical smears.
The total yearly number taken for Borough residents is around
seven to eight thousand.
Premature Births
The Table below sets out the number of premature infants
notified. These infants are all included in the children "At Risk"
figures mentioned in a later paragraph. The number of premature
live births notified — a total of 243 — was an increase of nearly
30 per cent, compared with a figure of 188 in 1968 and represents
6.2 per cent. of the total notified live births. This compares with
a figure of 3.4 per cent. for the previous year but the number of
notifications of premature births notified in 1968 is probably a
low fluctuation as the 1969 figures compare closely to those of
1967, when there were 249 live premature births, a percentage of
61. For the notification of premature births a birth weight of
51b 8ozs. or less is fixed, irrespective of the period of gestation.
The special baby care unit at the new Rush Green Maternity
Hospital, under the direction of Dr. Nauth-Misir, Consultant
Paediatrician, has considerably improved the resources available
for the care of premature and other delicate newly-born children.
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