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38
Midwives.
There are 13 state certified midwives (including the Superintendent and
nine Council midwives) resident and practising in the district, and 2 certified
midwives residing outside Ilford, but practising in Ilford. In addition there
were at the end of the year, 14 state certified midwives at the Council's
Maternity Home and 2 at a private nursing home in Ilford.
Their supervision has been carried out as in previous years.
Payment of Midwife's Fee in Necessitous Cases.
The Council paid the balance of a private midwife's fee in two cases,
amounting to £2 15s. 6d.
Suspension From Practice.
Eight midwives were suspended from practice for varying periods following
attendance on nine notified cases of Puerperal Pyrexia, rendering them liable
to be a source of infection. Three of the midwives each attended two such
cases during the year. All were in the employ of the Council, with one
exception, an employee of the Salvation Army.
The causes of the Pyrexia were stated to be due to:
(1) Mastitis.
(2) Cervical and local uterine infection following premature
stillbirth (macerated foetus)
(3) Local uterine infection.
(4) Local lacerations.
(5) Inflamed Varicose Veins.
(6) Sapraemia.
(7) Phlebitis of left leg and axillary abscess.
(8) Puerperal Staphylococcal septicaema.
(9) Cervical swab showed presence of Haemolytic streptococci.
Inflammation of, or Discharge from, the Eyes of an Infant.
Medical aid was sought in 27 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) Council District. Midwifery Service.
During the year 746 cases were attended by the Council District Midwives.
In 411 cases the midwives were engaged to attend as midwives and in 335 as
maternity nurses. The cases resided in the following wards: Barkingside 152;
North Hainault 115; Cranbrook 26; Park 46; Seven Kings 66; South Hainault
123; Loxford 73 ; Clementswood 79 ; Goodmayes 66.
3,943 ante-natal visits were made during the year.
56 medical pracitiioners are now participating in the Council's scheme
for the ante-natal examination of patients who have engaged a Council Midwife
to attend them.