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Inflammation of, or Discharge from, the Eyes of an Infant.
Medical aid was sought in 29 instances where the infant was found to
have inflamed or discharging eyes. Four of the cases were subsequently
notified as suffering from Ophthalmia Neonatorum, In all cases the condition
of the eyes cleared satisfactorily.
The Council has adopted the suggestion of the Minister of Health that
they should refrain from exercising their power of recovery of the fee of the
Medical Practitioner under Section 14 (4) of the Midwives Act, 1918, in
this class of case.
Midwives Act, 1936.
(a) Refresher Course for Midwives.
Rules were made by the Central Midwives Board under Section 7 (1)
of the Midwives Act, 1936, to take effect as from the 1st January 1939,
requiring Midwives from time to time to attend a course of instruction approved
by the Board.
A residential course for a period of 4 weeks at the Plaistow Maternity
Hospital, Plaistow, was approved by the Board for Midwives resident in this
area and the Superintendent of Council Midwives attended the course at the
Hospital in March, 1939.
The Rules were suspended by the Central Midwives Board on the outbreak
of the war.
(b) Council District Midwifery Service.
During the year 691 cases were attended by the Council Midwives. In
405 cases the midwives were engaged to attend as midwives and in 286 as
maternity nurses. The cases resided in the following wards : Barkingside 124 ;
North Hainault 89 ; Cranbrook 26 ; Park 49 ; Seven Kings 65 ; South Hainault
107 ; Loxford 93 ; Clementswood 80; Goodmayes 58.
3,772 ante-natal visits were made during the year.
67 medical practitioners are now participating in the Council's scheme
for the ante-natal examination of patients who have engaged a Council Midwife
to attend them.
Twenty-eight patients were referred by the private Doctors to the Council's
Consulting Obstetrician at the Ante-Natal Clinic for a further opinion. 8 of
these women and 36 other patients who had engaged a Council Midwife (26
as a midwife and 18 as a maternity nurse) were, for various reasons admitted
to the Council's Maternity Home or other Hospitals. 40 were admitted to
the Maternity Home, 3 to Oldchurch Hospital, Romford, and 1 to the London
Hospital, Whitechapel.
In addition one patient was admitted to the Maternity Home following
confinement owing to her heart condition. The baby died prior to admission
to the Home.
A Doctor was called in at the time of the confinement or subsequently
to 141 of the 405 cases in which the midwife only had been engaged.
Eight cases were notified as suffering from Puerperal Pyrexia, 6 being
removed to the Isolation Hospital. 3 of these patients had engaged their
own Doctor to attend them.
One mother was admitted as an emergency case to the London Hospital,
Whitechapel, for confinement, and died 3 days later from gas gangrene;
obstructed labour. The patient was attended by her own Doctor.
Four babies were notified as suffering from Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
Three of the cases were removed to St. Margaret's (L.C.C.) Hospital. The
condition of the eyes cleared satisfactorily.