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THORPE COOMBE MATERNITY HOSPITAL.
A Report on an Investigation on the nutrition of expectant
and nursing mothers, in which 500 patients from Thorpe Coombe
were included (with the approval of the Maternity and Child
Welfare Committee) was published by the People's League of
Health this year.
A Committee of obstetric specialists was appointed in 1938
to arrange the details of the Investigation and later to assess
the results. The Investigation was carried out on 5,000
expectant and nursing mothers from a number of hospitals between
March 1938 until December 1939.
The purpose of the Investigation was to see whether or not
the additions of vitamins and minerals to the daily diet would
benefit the course of pregnancy and labour and favourably
influence the condition of the new-born child.
Calcium and other minerals together with vitamins A,B,C and D
were given to the experimental group of patients for the last
four months of pregnancy. A control group was included in the
investigation; they were not given the additions to their diet.
The results of the Investigation showed that women receiving
the special diet were protected against the risks of pregnancy
toxaemia (raised blood pressure and, or, albumen in the urine)
to a degree of almost 30 per cent. The chances of a woman
carrying her child to term were improved by the diet.
There was, however, no evidence to show that the additions
to the diet appreciably effected the risks of puerperal pyrexia
end sepsis. Nor did the investigators find any appreciable
influence on the character and duration of labour.
41.