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9
We have worked in co-operation with Sister Alice, Matron of
the Essex Training Centre for Midwives, and several of the
Nurses attend the Clinic to assist with the patients and to receive
teaching in abdominal examination, pelvic measurement, etc. My
endeavour has been to advise expectant mothers about the conservation
of their health and that of the unborn child, and to give
simple advice about clothing, diet, etc. Patients with abnormal
symptoms or signs are put under medical care. Several cases
have been referred' to the Tuberculosis Dispensary with most satisfactory
results. One case of Hirschsprung's Disease, a rare condition
and an extremely dangerous complication of pregnancy, was
at my request successfully operated on by Mr. Loekhart
Mummery. Two cases of generally contracted pelvis were sent
to Queen Charlotte's Hospital for special obstetric treatment at
child-birth.
Several cases of Venereal Disease were sent to Venereal
Disease Clinics for treatment, thus preventing miscarriage or
early death of the child. One advantage of Ante-Natall Clinics
is the opportunity they give for encouraging breast-feeding by
instructing the mothers in the care of the nipples, the stimulation
of the milk supply by suitable diet, by education of the
new-born infant, and by making the mother realise, that she may
jeopardise her chance of nursing by the unwise administration of
cow's milk or patent foods during the first two days of life.
Such teaching is followed up by care of the baby when it is
afterwards brought to the afternoon Baby Clinic. An investigation
into 1,000 of the women attending our Leyton and Leytonstone
Clinics, which was carried out by me, with the assistance of
the Health Visitors, brought forth the fact that 5i4 pein cent.
suckled all their babies, 14 per cent. reared all their children on
the bottle, 10- per cent. nursed all but one, and 10 per cent. all
but two of their family; the remaining 12 per cent. nuirsed all but
three or four. Of the same group of women, 76 per cent. reared
all their children, 18 per cent. all but one, 2 per cent. all but two,
and 4 per cent. lost moire than two. I did not find that the deathrate
amongst bottle babies was much higher than that of breastfed
babies, the proportion being—of 30 children who died, 12
were breast-fed and 18 were reared on the bottle. At the same
time, the chief aim of our work is to encourage breast-feeding.
My experience warrants me in saying that 90 per cent. of mothers
can and should nurse their babies.