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17
CARE OF MOTHERS AND YOUNG CHILDREN
Care of the expectant mother
During 1958 a little more than half of all expectant mothers attended the local ante-natal clinics
staffed by assistant medical officers (Table 49).
Expectant mothers require adequate ante-natal care throughout pregnancy, and close co-operation
therefore exists between general practitioners, staffs of hospitals, assistant medical officers, midwives and
health visitors
Health visitors make the initial arrangements for hospital and domiciliary confinements at the local
clinics (Table 50). Mothers booked for confinement at home or in Paddington Hospital have specimens of
blood taken by assistant medical officers for Wasserman reaction, blood grouping, and Rhesus factor; the
tests for haemoglobin estimation are also carried out. All expectant mothers are invited to attend the Mass
X-ray Unit at Central Middlesex Hospital.
Health visitors conduct mothercraft classes (one afternoon a week at the main clinics) on the birth
and care of the expectant mother and the child. They arrange carefully planned programmes of talks and
demonstrations which are given by the assistant medical officers, health visitors and midwives. Mothers are
encouraged to ask questions and interesting discussions follow over a cup of tea (Table 51).
The physiotherapist conducts ante-natal relaxation classes on two afternoons a week in the orthopaedic
department at Stonebridge Clinic, and one afternoon a week at Pound Lane Clinic, and a health
visitor conducts similar classes at Kilburn Clinic on one morning (Table 52). The mothers enjoy these classes,
and their association with other expectant mothers has a good psychological effect. There is no doubt that
the exercises assist the mother at the time of the confinement; most of them report on their easy confinement
and how they were able to practice what they had been taught.
Some hospitals do the ante-natal care, mothercraft and relaxation exercises for their own expectant
mothers. Health visitors and midwives encourage mothers to have post-natal examinations six weeks after
the confinement, either at the hospital, at the clinic, or by general practitioners. Health visitors make followup
visits where mothers fail to keep appointments at the hospital or clinics.
Child welfare clinics
Child Welfare sessions are held in three main clinics (5 afternoons a week) and in four church hall
clinics (two afternoons a week in three, and three afternoons a week in one). (Table 53). Assistant Medical
Officers and Health Visitors give advice on the feeding, hygiene and general management of infants and young
children. The doctors immunise children under one year against diphtheria, whooping cough and poliomyelitis.
There was a considerable increase in the number of children vaccinated against poliomyelitis and
adequate supplies of vaccine were available. (Table 65). The number of children vaccinated against smallpox
(Table 63) and the number immunised against diphtheria (Table 64) was almost the same as in 1957.
Health Visitors advise mothers of young babies on immunisation against poliomyelitis as well as
against diphtheria, whooping cough and smallpox.
Greeting cards are sent to children on their first and second birthdays, inviting mothers to bring them
to the clinic for routine yearly examinations and a tuberculin skin test; many mothers respond to these
invitations.
A Mothers' Club is held in Kilburn Clinic once a fortnight in the evening, and in Stonebridge Clinic
once a week. The mothers form their own committees and run the clubs themselves with the help of the
nursing staff. They arrange interesting programmes of lectures and demonstrations on health and homecraft,
which are given by assistant medical officers, health visitors, and outside speakers. The clubs have had an
active and interesting year. Outside activities have included visits to the theatre, the Ideal Home Exhibition,
and a day trip to Rottingdean by coach. Also organised were a delightful children's Christmas Party for a
number of young children and a visit to the Ice Show at Wembley for older children. Gifts were made out of
club funds to the Willesden Old Folks Association and to several charity organisations.
Pound lane clinic, willesden
Pound Lane was officially opened on Tuesday, 18th March, 1958. It was dedicated by the Right
Reverend G. E. Ingle, M.A., the Lord Bishop of Willesden, and officially opened by the Right Honourable Derek
Walker-Smith, T.D., Q.C., M.P., Minister of Health.
The provision of a health centre on this site was considered by the Willesden Borough Council as
long ago as 1935 and, in fact, plans were completed in 1938. However, the outbreak of war and the resulting
restrictions on capital expenditure prevented the project being started.
The Clinic replaces a former clinic in adapted premises at Nos. 379-381, High Road, Willesden, and
is the largest of the five purpose-built clinics erected by the Middlesex County Council since the 5th July,
1948, when it became the local health authority under the National Health Service Act, 1946.
The Clinic is designed to afford facilities for giving advice and treatment to mothers, young children
and school children in the neighbouring community. These facilities include mother and baby sessions (antenatal,
post-natal and infant welfare), dental treatment and sessions for immunisation, vaccination, treatment of
minor ailments, speech therapy, physiotherapy, orthoptics and chiropody. Specialists' services include orthopaedic,
opthalmic and ear, nose and throat sessions. Mothercraft classes and health education lectures are
provided.