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11
575 women attended the Ante-Natal clinics during the year and
made the following attendances:—
White Hart Lane Centre 3,254
Gordon Road Centre 904
In addition 127 mothers attended at White Hart Lane for postnatal
examination, and 53 at Gordon Road.
Premature Babies.
Special cots and other equipment recommended by the Ministry
of Health for the care and nursing of premature babies in their homes
has been provided and is available for use by the midwives whenever
required.
Of the 805 live births belonging to Wood Green in 1948, 28 or
3.5 per cent. were of premature babies, i.e. babies weighing 5½ lbs.
or less at birth. Of these 16 were born in hospital and 12 at home.
One died in a few hours, but all the others were alive at the end of a
month after birth, and at the end of the year.
Home Visiting.
The most important duty which a Health Visitor is called on
to perform is, in my opinion, to visit regularly in the homes of the
mothers and children in her district. It is in these visits, more than
in the clinic sessions, that she establishes the closest contact with
the mothers and babies and is best able to act not only as professional
adviser but as friend and guide. It is important therefore that as
much time as possible be given to this side of the work. During the
year the number of home visits paid was 6,976. Of these 468 were
ante-natal visits to expectant mothers, 3,610 to babies under one
year, and 2,898 to children of from one to five years.
The Health Visitors have also continued to act as Infant Life
Protection Visitors, visiting registered foster-mothers and fosterchildren
at regular intervals. At the end of the year there were
6 foster-mothers and 9 foster-children on the register.
In their work the Health Visitors have had as in former years
the active co-operation of Inspector Martin of the National Society
for the Protection and Care of Children in cases calling for his
assistance.