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40
The Care of Premature Infants—Ministry of Health Circular 20/44.
Report by Dr. Menzies.
Special care to premature infants has been continued during
1945. The importance of this was stressed in February, 1943, when
detailed instructions on the feeding and care of premature infants
and twins were issued to midwives. At the same time midwives
were supplied with thermometers for taking sub-normal temperatures,
and with electric heating pads for use in selected cases.
Mucus catheters had been part of their normal equipment for a
number of years.
In March, 1944, Circular 20/44 of the Ministry of Health drew
the attention of Local Authorities to the need for special care for
premature babies, and brought certain recommendations on providing
this care to their notice. As far as is practicable these
recommendations have been followed.
The question of the transport to hospital of small premature
babies born at home, so that they may be nursed in hospital, is
secondary to the provision in hospital of adequate accommodation
and nursing for such babies. At the moment this is not available.
Out of a total of 1,423 notified births, there were 39 premature
births in hospital and 21 at home, plus a case of premature twins
born to an unmarried woman who gave an address in Leyton.
This girl had been living in the Borough for only three weeks and
did not return after the birth as far as could be discovered. The
pregnancy terminated at 30 weeks and both twins died within
twenty-four hours. It seemed doubtful whether the deaths should
have been credited to Leyton, but it was impossible to obtain
information which would have led to more accurate registration.
Of the 21 premature babies born to Leyton women in their
own homes, only one death occurred, and that was in the first 24
hours. All except three weighed 4 lb. or more at birth. The
three between 3—4 lbs. were of twin pregnancies, and all survived.
The small proportion of deaths is evidence that the care taken
of these premature babies was adequate, and a large share of the
success must go to the mothers. The nursing of premature babies
demands continuous care and very gentle handling, and in
domiciliary births (without a resident nurse) it is impossible for the
children to survive without the intelligent co-operation of the
mother. It is satisfactory, too, that the only babies weighing
less than 4 lbs. were three from twin pregnancies, and that there
were none weighing less than 3 lbs. This suggests that the health