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have their haemoglobin estimated at the first visit and regularly
every four weeks thereafter whether they are hospital or home
confinements. The haemoglobin estimation is done by the Sahli
method in the clinic by the same health visitors and checks are
made on the accuracy of the estimations from time to time by cooperation
with the Pathologist of the Post-Graduate Medical
School, Ducane Road, W. 12. The results have been accurate within
5%. A record is kept of the patient's ability to take iron and
the type most easily tolerated.
Relaxation and Mothercraft Classes
This service is now operating in three Hornsey and three
Tottenham Clinics and is much appreciated by expectant mothers.
The group teaching is in all cases given by a health visitor whose
aim is to dispel fears associated with pregnancy and confinement
and to instruct mothers on those matters associated with the wellbeing
of themselves, normal childbirth and the preparation for the
care of their children.
The classes are kept as informal as possible and time is
allowed for questions and answers as well as for a cup of tea.
Many mothers return post-natally for exercises and to consult the
Health visitor.
Notification of Births - Home and Institutional Confinements
It will be observed from the table set out below that more
than 80% of the births which occurred last year were in hospital
and nursing homes.
The number of home confinements has dropped steadily since
the peak birth rate year of 1947. It is interesting to note that
this drop continued over the last three years even though the
number of births has remained fairly steady.
It would appear that while the hospitals are able to provide
a sufficient number of beds for maternity cases, mothers are being
discouraged from having their babies at home, especially as it is
less expensive for them to go into hospital. Because of the lack
of discrimination in favour of admission to hospital on purely
obstetric or social grounds difficulty sometimes arises in finding
a bed m an emergency, as all hospital accommodation has been
taken up.