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29
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
Report by the Medical Officer in Charge of the Maternity and Child Welfare Department (Miss
Ruby Thomson, M.B., Ch.B., D.P.H.) on the work of the Department.
The work of the Maternity and Child Welfare Department has been considerably extended
during the year 1936. Dr. Barrett acted for me until 13th January, when 1 resumed duty.
Dr. Louise Matheson, however, continued to attend some of the Infant Welfare sessions until
Easter, when I undertook full duty. To meet the necessity for extra medical work at the clinics,
Dr. Edith Wilson, who had previously acted as a locum tenens in the Department, was appointed
in November to act as Medical Officer at one Infant Welfare session weekly at Eustace
i i. .
Road clinic.
In May, the Council decided to inaugurate a gynaecological clinic at Greyhound Road on
one afternoon weekly. To this clinic any married woman in the district may go when in need
of any advice on the diseases peculiar to women; and the Medical Officer advises medically,
or on birth control, according to the necessities of the case and with due regard to conditions
laid down by the Ministry of Health in a memorandum on the subject. Dr. Lynette Hemmant
was appointed to be Medical Officer for this clinic.
An investigation was commenced in Fulham in August on the nutrition of expectant and
nursing mothers attending Greyhound Road clinic. We were fortunate in obtaining the voluntary
services of Dr. Lilli Meyer-Wedell, late of Hamburg, for the scientific side of the work, while
1 do the clinical work. Dr. Meyer-Wedell has spent an aggregate of approximately eighteen
hours in the Borough every week doing this work, attending at Greyhound Road, or at the
Maternity Home when her patients were there. Work of this kind is being undertaken in
different parts of the country; and the information obtained will be of great value to future
Maternity and Child Welfare arrangements throughout the country.
Mr. Dodd who had been dental surgeon in the department for several years retired in
January and his place was taken by Mr D. K. Gaskill, L.D.S.
HEALTH VISITORS.
In April three additions were made to the Health Visiting staff, so that there are now
ten Health Visitors, each of whom is responsible for visiting one-tenth of the Borough.
The more highly trained the Health Visitor, and the more vivid her personality, the
more effective is the work of Maternity and Child Welfare in any area. The first contact of
the majority of mothers with Public Health activities is usually made through the Health Visitors.
As; the Health Visitor has no "right of entry" into any house, it, in a large measure, depends upon
her persuasive powers as to whether or not the mothers in her district keep their children
under regular medical supervision. It should be mentioned that little difficulty is encountered
locally in getting into any house. The Health Visitors come and go as friends of the family,
and they are appealed to for advice on very many subjects.
The qualifications, training and special experience of the Health Visitors were fully described
in last year's Report.