Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wimbledon]
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Maternity and Child Welfare.
Steady progress has characterised this section of public
health work, and there will be still further progress now that
the new conjoint clinic is built, It is gratifying to record an
increase in the attendances at the Centres, more especially in
regard to the Lectures to Mothers and in the Ante-natal
Clinic. The value of these two sections cannot be overemphasised.
The thanks of the staff are due to the ladies who so
kindly give their voluntary services to what may be termed
the "social" side of the work, for this establishes contact
with the mothers and leads to greater co-operation in the
medical side of welfare work.
Maternal Mortality:— The crusade at present being conducted
to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity should
prove of great service, but it must be remembered that results
cannot be obtained at once, nor will the only remedy be
found in the provision of maternity homes and hospitals.
The two deaths of Wimbledon mothers during 1928
occurred in hospitals where the best attention was given.
Education of expectant mothers, with careful medical examinations,
is necessary, and the problem is to find some way
of inducing all mothers to seek advice beforehand, and not
to rely on the notion that the confinement will be a natural
and simple process.
The following table shows the number of cases of Ophthalmia Neonatorum, and the result of the early treatment.
CASES. | Vision. Unimpaired. | Vision Impaired. | Total Blindness. | Deaths. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Notified. | Treated. | |||||
At Home. | Hospital. | |||||
— | — | - | — | — |
There were 7 deaths from measles, and 5 from whooping
cough. No eases of epidemic diarrhoea were notified.
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