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74
Blood grouping/haemoglobin estimation and Rhesus and S.F.T.
tests were carried out for all patients attending ante-natal clinics,
except when interim ante-natal care is carried out on behalf of
maternity hospitals.
There were 3 Rhesus negatives and all S.F.T. tests were
negative.
The total of blood tests was 59 including 42 primary tests in
respect of mothers, 7 secondary tests, 9 for haemoglobin only and
1 for P.C.V. etc.
The blood groupings were A.22, B.2, 0.17 and AB.l.
Haemoglobin estimations showed the following results:—
100+ = nil 60—69 = 2
90—99 = 6 50—59 = nil
80—89 = 23 40—49 = nil
70—79 = 17
i.e., 2 or 4.16% were under 70 compared with 15.9% in 1958.
Instructions to midwives require that where haemoglobin
estimations were found to be 65% or less, patients should be
referred to their family doctors with a request that they might be
sent back for a re-estimation of haemoglobin after 4/6 weeks.
Family doctors undertaking maternity medical services have been
advised that blood specimens could be taken from their patients
either at an ante-natal clinic or a weekly clinic at the Town Hall.
Ante-Natal Care.
The arrangements in regard to the scope of ante-natal supervision
were detailed in the reports for 1956 and 1957.
The ante-natal co-operation card scheme introduced in 1957
is reported to be working well.
Ante-Natal Care and Confinements.
There were 1,380 confinements of Walthamstow mothers in 1958.
against 1,416 in 1957. The percentage of hospital confinements
remained practically unaltered at 74.1. This percentage in fact has
hardly varied over the last five yearx.
Home confinements were 357 against 348 in 1957 and of the
357 confinements, 86 were midwives' cases, the remaining 271
being doctors' "booked" cases with, of course, a midwife in attendance
as a maternity nurse. Of the 86 midwives' cases 85 were
attended by "Carisbrooke" midwives.
Ante-natal examinations of midwives' cases were somewhat
higher at 3,248. Ante-natal examinations of doctors' cases were
also higher at 1967.