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Care of Mothers and Young Children.
Ante-Natal Services:
There were 561 attendances at the Ante-Natal Clinic at 118,
Hermon Hill, Wanstead. Sessions at this Clinic are conducted by
the Municipal Midwives, who work in close conjunction with the
general practitioners.
At the request of a general practitioner who conducts an antenatal
clinic for his own patients, it was arranged that a Municipal
Midwife should attend at the doctor's surgery. This arrangement has
worked well, and proves an excellent means of co-operation between
doctor and midwife.
Relaxation Exercises:
Relaxation classes for expectant mothers are held regularly at the
ante-natal clinics. At these classes talks are given by a Health Visitor
on preparation for the confinement and on various aspects of
personal hygiene for mother and infant.
Birth Control Clinics.
At these clinics contraceptive advice is given for medical or sociomedical
reasons. A medical officer with special experience in
gynaecology advises. The number of attendances at the clinic during
1954 was 317.
Vital Statistics
These are given in Section A of this report. The birth rate of 11.3
is below that for England and Wales. The infant mortality rate
was 14.2, as against 25.5 for England and Wales, and the neo-natal
mortality rate was 9.9 per 1,000 live births.

Care of Premature Infants
During 1954, 38 premature infants were born to residents of the
Borough, 5 of these births taking place at home and 33 in hospital or
nursing home. Of those born at home all were alive at the end of
one month; 30 of the 33 born in hospital or private nursing home
survived.
In all cases of premature birth, special supervision is given after
the 14th day or after discharge from hospital.
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