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20
In another part of this Report it will be noted that 17
still-births are given as registered, whereas 16 were notified.
This apparent discrepancy may be accounted for in that the
Registrar General's review does not cover exactly the same
period covered for local statistics. After adjusting the
total of 668 births in relation to inward and outward transfers,
and not including still-births, the nett total of births
for the area in 1930 has been calculated by the Registrar
General at 629.
Forty per cent, of births in Bromley are attended by
midwives acting as midwives.
The employment of the self styled "maternity nurse"
untrained in general nursing or midwifery, is to be strongly
discouraged, as not only do they tend to exceed their duty,
but it is known that once they have made themselves
popular with the public they discourage the services of the
skilled person at birth. This state of Natal service requires
to be definitely controlled by law—registration and supervision
is the least that should be required.
The nursing staff of the Bromley and District Nursing
Association paid 2,962 maternity and midwifery visits,
undertook 137 midwifery cases and 59 cases with doctors.
Midwives.
The number of midwives practising in the area served
by the Council for Maternity and Child Welfare at the end
of the year was 21. Of this number seven were in the
service of nursing associations, and 14 in maternity homes
and private practice. None are employed, or subsidised by
the Council.
The number of cases attended by midwives during the
year was (1) as midwives 255, and (2) as maternity nurses
301.
The attendance at births of midwives only is to be encouraged.
It is only proper that a physiological process,
such as a normal confinement, requires no interference,
and should be left while it remains normal in the hands
of the skilled midwife. Only the abnormal case need be
referred to tbe doctor. The payment made to midwives is
in my view too low for the skilled attention given, and the