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82
The following summarises the work done at the clinics during
the year:—
Total number of expectant mothers attending the
clinics 1,623
Total number of attendances by expectant mothers
at all clinics 7,038
Percentage of total notified births (live and still)
represented by the number of expectant mothers
attending the clinics 55
About 40 per cent. of the women attended the ante-natal clinic
of their own accord or were recommended by a friend; 30 per cent.
were recommended by a health visitor; 19 by midwives; 8 by
hospitals and 3 per cent. by local medical practitioners.
40 per cent. of those attending were pregnant for the first
time; 30 for the second; 15 for the third; 7 for the fourth; 3 for
the fifth and 5 per cent. for more than the fifth. Fifty women
who attended were not pregnant.
The fifth and sixth months were the most frequent periods of
gestation at the time the first attendance was made at the clinic.
About half of the women at the time of the first attendance were
between 3 and 6 months pregnant; 30 per cent. were over 6 months,
while this year 20 per cent. attended before they were 3 months
pregnant. Last year only about 10 per cent. attended before the
fourth month of pregnancy. This earlier attendance is possibly to
be accounted for by the difficulty experienced in obtaining admission
to hospital unless a bed is booked at a very early stage of pregnancy.
One-half of the expectant mothers attended more than five
times, approximately equal numbers attending once to five times.
The number of women advised by hospital authorities to attend
the local clinics is very much higher this year. As mentioned in
last year's report the Middlesex County Council agreed to the suggestion
that the ante-natal supervision of normal cases to be admitted
to Redhill Hospital be undertaken at the local clinics, subject to an
examination by the hospital staff at about the 36th week of pregnancy.
Actually only one case was passed to the clinic during the
year under this scheme, but the arrangements are now working
smoothly. Some hospital authorities, appreciating the hardship
imposed on the expectant mother by repeated visits to distant
institutions, encourage the normal patient to attend the local clinic.
The following is the type of letter received in respect of normal
patients from one hospital:—"Mrs.- has attended our antenatal
clinic to-day and is booked for her confinement. She is
expecting on-. On examination the following conditions were
present. . . . As she lives at some distance from the hospital and
is in your area we should be grateful if you would keep her under
observation in your clinic. We usually interview our patients every
four weeks until the 30th week; fortnightly till the 36th week and