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23
Mothercraft and psycho-prophylatic clinics were held in the Health Department
clinics throughout the year: the number of women who attended during 1965
is shown below:
Institutionally booked 188
Domiciliary booked 7
Total attendances 1,202
No. of sessions 182
Mothers are encouraged to obtain post-natal care whenever appropriate.
Shortly after the baby is ten days old the mother, wherever she has had her confinement,
is visited by the health visitor who explains to her the various
services available, gives advice on many problems appertaining to the new baby,
not only on feeding problems but such things as relations with other children,
relations with the father, possible financial aspects, the need for purchase
of prams, baby clothes and early detection of abnormality, etc. This is the
modern concept of the health visitor as against that of 25 years ago when the
health visitor was mainly concerned with malnutrition, correct feeding and
infection. In addition, the health visitor can be of help in advising the
unmarried mother who decides to retain her baby and who wishes to meet the
inevitable problems of this situation on her own.
CHILD WELFARE CLINICS
Every mother is also encouraged to bring her baby to her local maternal
and child welfare centre and from the figures shown below it will be seen that
a very high proportion do. Bearing in mind that some few babies born in 1964
would not be seen until 1965 and those born very late in 1965 would not be
seen until 1966, it can be estimated that more than 80% of mothers make use of
these centres. The average attendance at each child welfare session was 32.
No. of children who attended Hackney Borough Council clinics during 1965:-
who were born in 1965 4,742
„ „ „ „ 1964 3,870
„ „ „ „ 1960-63 4,579
Total attendances 62,494
No. of sessions 1,901
No. medically examined 22,650
No. referred elsewhere 610