View report page

Infectious diseases in mothers and infants. The statistics of
puerperal fever and puerperal pyrexia are dealt with more fully
in the section on Vital Statistics, and notes on ophthalmia neonatorum
appear in the section on Infectious Diseases. Table V.
gives in brief the main particulars regarding these conditions
during the year 1937.
In Table VI. an analysis is given of the notified cases of
puerperal pyrexia and of puerperal fever which occurred in West
Ham residents in 1937. It will be appreciated that in the case of
puerperal pyrexia the cause of the fever was not ascertained in
each instance. The following were the results in the 26 cases in
which the cause of the pyrexia was known:—Mastitis, 6 cases;
influenza, 4 cases; phlebitis, 3 cases; tuberculosis, 2 cases;
tonsillitis, 2 cases; bronchitis, 2 cases; septic perineal tear, 2
cases; pneumonia, 1 case; pyelitis, 1 case; rheumatism, 1 case;
meningitis, 1 case; retained products, 1 case.
Home Helps. The number of cases in which home helps
were provided during 1937 was 566.
The home help is a woman chosen by the patient, subject
to the approval of the health visitor, who attends daily in the
home of the patient for fourteen days from and including the day
of confinement. As the duties of such a woman are purely
domestic she may be employed where required whether the patient
is confined at home or in hospital.
The home help is supervised by the health visitor, and,
subject to a satisfactory report of her work, payment is granted
by the local authority. The Council do not re-claim from the
applicant any part of this grant. Only those persons whose
income falls within the limits of a prescribed scale are eligible
for the services of these home helps.
This scheme is satisfactory on the whole. To the mother
herself it is of great benefit to have a known friend in the home
rather than a stranger appointed specially for the work. There is
not only the knowledge that her home and children are being
cared for, but there is greater peace of mind from the fact that the
home help knows intimately her home and her children. Minor
difficulties arise from time to time, but it is seldom that these
cannot be adjusted by the health visitor to the satisfaction of all
concerned.
221