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Experience has shown that frequently a woman suffering
from chronic ill-health dates her suffering from the birth of a
child. The establishment of post-natal clinics where the diagnosis
and treatment in the earliest stages of such sequelae of parturition
as might manifest themselves after the conclusion of the lying-in
period calls for early consideration. It is by means of post-natal
maternal care conducted at special clinics that a mother's return to
health can be rendered as complete as possible, and in my opinion
this field of preventive medicine rivals in importance the routine
supervision and examination before delivery.
Maternal Mortality in Child-birth. Ante-natal Clinics.
Ante-natal Supervision.
In August of last year the Ministry of Health issued as an
official document for the guidance of Local Authorities and their
officers a Memorandum which had been prepared by the Maternal
Mortality Committee on Maternal Mortality in Child-birth— Antenatal
Clinics, their conduct and scope.
The suggestions set forth in the Memorandum were, in my
opinion, of such importance that I reported fully on the subject
of the Ministry's proposals and the present position relating to
ante-natal supervision in Camberwell to the appropriate Committee
of the Council, of which the following is an extract of the
principal points of interest: —
The Memorandum lays down the principles on which antenatal
care should be based, and these are (1) the prevention of
difficult labours as far as this can be done by efficient examination;
(2) the early detection and treatment of toxaemia; (3) measures
against infection and for increasing resistance to infection; (4)
the diagnosis and treatment of venereal disease; (5) co-operation
between the clinic and those responsible for the care of childbearing
women; (6) the educational effect of a well-organised
clinic.
The Memorandum further deals with the application of these
principles and the sub-division of the Ante-Natal Clinic as follows :
(a) the Consulting Clinic; and (b) the Clinic for routine examination
or the Examination Clinic.
The Consulting Clinic staffed by obstetricians of standing to
•leal with diseases requiring specialist's advice and treatment is
in my opinion an essential part of any scheme and should be held
on hospital premises and staffed by hospital obstetricians.
The suggestion relating to the establishment- of Consulting
Clinics is an estimable one, and possibly offers the best inducement
to the professional attendants to make use of such clinics
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