View report page

9
Care of the expectant mother.
The Ante-Natal Clinic was held every fortnight throughout the year. The total attendances
of expectant mothers numbered 463, of which 129 were first attendances. Calculated on the
births which occurred in Twickenham, 20.1 per cent. of the total number of women confined in
Twickenham attended the Ante-Natal Centre. It is difficult to estimate the number of expectant
mothers who received adequate ante-natal supervision. In most instances some advice was
obtained, but in. at least four of the cases of still birth there was no history of any ante-natal
supervision and in several the supervision appeared to have been decidedly inadequate.
It must not, however, be assumed that this was necessarily due to neglect on the part of
the midwife or medical practitioner who attended the confinement, as a certain number of women
either fail to recognise the importance of ante-natal care or decline to obtain it for reasons
best known to themselves.
During the year 101 Twickenham mothers were confined in the West Middlesex Hospital,
and 24 in special hospitals in London, and it may be assumed that all these received as complete
ante-natal supervision as was possible.
It was found that a certain number of expectant mothers who applied to West Middlesex
Hospital for admission for confinement but who were subsequently unable to obtain admission,
were being kept under supervision at that hospital for a considerable time before they were
informed that admission was impossible, the decision frequently being delayed until the confinement
was imminent. After consultation with the Medical Officer of Health of the Middlesex County
Council, arrangements v/ere being made with a view to a decision as to admission being reached
at an early a date as possible, and these arrangements have resulted satisfactorily.
Under the scheme for dental treatment, certain expectant mothers received dental
treatment and were supplied with sets of artificial teeth.
As the County Council have not been able to make arrangements for the dental treatment
of mothers attending the Ante-Natal Clinics of the West Middlesex Hospital, expectant mothers
residing in Twickenham who are in attendance at the West Middlesex Hospital Ante-Natal
Clinics now receive dental treatment at the Twickenham Ante-Natal Centre Dental Clinic.
In accordance with requests from the Public Assistance Authority, enquiries were made
into the home conditions of 20 expectant mothers living in Twickenham who had applied for
admission to the maternity block at the West Middlesex Hospital, and reports furnished to the
Committee of that Authority.
Birth Control.
While it has been permissible for Maternity and Child Welfare Authorities to provide
facilities for advice, etc., as to birth control in cases of married women suffering from certain
forms of illness, the circular (1408), issued by the Ministry of Health extended the conditions
for which advice on this subject may be given to include various other diseases which might render
pregnancy detrimental to health. To give effect to this, authority was given by the Council to
the Medical Officer of the Ante-Natal Clinics to refer suitable cases to one of the birth control
clinics in London.
Care of mothers during Confinement.
The Corporation have not established a Maternity Home nor have arrangements been made
with any Institution for the reception of complicated or difficult cases of labour or of women
whose home conditions are unsuitable.
Although the services of a consultant are available for medical practitioners in cases of
complicated or difficult labour, no request for these services was received during the year.
Arrangements for the provision of midwives to attend necessitous women who desire to
be confined at home and for the attendance of Home Helps in similar circumstances, were
adopted" during the year.
Subsequent to Confinement.
The services of a consultant are available for cases of puerperal pyrexia when medical
practitioners desire a special opinion and the patient is not in a position to afford an adequate
fee.
The arrangements under which Nursing Mothers were supplied with milk when necessary
and whereby dental treatment and the provision of dentures are available, were continued during
the year.
Child Welfare.
Home Visiting.
The Health Visitors called at all the homes, when a birth occurred, in 540 cases out of the
619 live births notified. The visits paid to homes by the Health Visitors during the year included
the following :—
To expectant mothers 257
To children under one year of age 2903
To children between the ages of 1 and 5 years 4327