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Maternity Cases Attended
There were 217 domiciliary confinements reported and 2,294
hospital confinements during the year. This shows a reduction of 127
on the figure for 1968. Midwives employed by the Authority attended
all home confinements, 216 where a doctor was booked and one where
no doctor was booked.
Inhalational Analgesia
All the Authority's Midwives are qualified in administering inhalational
analgesia (trilene and gas and oxygen) in accordance with
the rules of the Central Midwives' Board. During the year, District
Midwives administered inhalational analgesia to mothers as follows:
Gas and oxygen—140. Trilene—23.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum
One case was notified during the year.
Maternity Outfits
A free issue of maternity outfits is made in accordance with the
instructions of the Department of Health and Social Security, namely
to those patients whose confinement will be conducted under the
National Health Service arrangements. These are issued by midwives
to their patients.
Medical Aid
Medical aid was summoned by midwives to 97 domiciliary cases
where a doctor was already booked for the confinement.
The Emergency Obstetric Unit
The aid of this unit was summoned on five occasions and the
patients were subsequently admitted to hospital:—
2 antepartum haemorrhage.
1 breech presentation.
1 foetal heart not heard (still-born infant).
1 retained placenta.
Early Discharges from Maternity Hospitals
The numbers of discharges from hospital before the tenth day
of puerperium were as follows:—
48 hours after confinement 386
Other discharges before the tenth day 126
Total 512
This shows an increase of 99 on those for 1968.
Midwifery Training
During the year 19 Student Midwives from the Epsom, Nelson
and St. Teresa's Hospitals completed their domiciliary training. There
were a further four in training at the end of December, 1969.
Eight midwives are approved by the Central Midwives' Board
as District Midwifery Teachers for the practical training of student
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