London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Hackney 1968

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]

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20
All the existing Regulations in respect of notifying infectious diseases have
been repealed and re-enacted in a consolidated version in statutory Instrument
No. 1366/1968 - The Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations 1968.
Nurseries and Child-Minders
The Act also amends the Nurseries and Child-Minders Regulation Act 1948
and this is dealt with in detail under the section 'Day Care of Children'
(see page 27).
CARE OF MOTHERS AND CHILDREN
ANTE-NATAL CARE
Attendances at the out-patient departments of maternity hospitals have
been maintained despite the fall in the birth rate in recent years. In consequence
the number of women attending the Council's clinics has again fallen.
The number of women attending for ante-natal examinations fell by 456 but it
must also be borne in mind that the number of births registered fell by 462.
About 20 per cent of the mothers attend Council clinics. Because of the
reduction in attendances, sessions were reduced from weekly to fortnightly at
Shoreditch Health Centre.

Nine general practitioner obstetricians hold sessions in Council premises and a domiciliary midwife is in attendance. Details of attendances at these sessions are not included in the figures below.

CentreNo. of sessionsNumber of women who attended forTotal attendances
Ante-natal examinationPost-natal examination
Barton House5115071785
Elsdale Street2613081369
John Scott277146274
Lower Clapton49113103476
Richmond Road49237130853
Shoreditch344376164
Upper Clapton519689457
West Hackney5116786465
Total3381,0076823,843

Education classes have been held for expectant mothers in four of
the centres. These classes include the preparation of women for labour, by
informing them about the sequence of events, the care of their health during
pregnancy, and also many facets of the care of their young babies. Attendances
at these classes dropped a little, consequent upon fewer births. Because the
demand was less, the number of sessions was lower than in 1967.
The number of women who attended during 1968 is shown below:-
Institutionally booked 167
Booked for home confinement 2
Total attendances 1,221
Number of sessions 166
Maternal Deaths
Two deaths associated with child-birth, occurred in the Borough and as in
former years, full details of these cases were reported to the Regional Assessor
to be included in the periodic reports on the confidential enquiries into
maternal deaths. The detailed reports from the whole country, when analysed,
give some indications of where the care of mothers may be improved. Although
the maternal mortality rate has fallen significantly over the last 20 years or
so, it is only by the strictest attention to recognising and preventing every
avoidable factor that the rate will continue to decline. The lower the mortality
rate, the harder it is to eliminate the "hard core" element in this problem.