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I am glad that the clinics still retain the generous services of our Voluntary Workers,
some of whom have attended regularly for many years, and to them we would express our
sincere gratitude; they help to ensure the smooth running of the clinic sessions.
The members of the Fulham Free Church Women's Guild continue to provide tea and
biscuits at a nominal cost for mothers attending the Centres, and their services are much
appreciated.
Three antenatal sessions are held each week, a morning and an afternoon session at
Greyhound Road conducted by myself, and an afternoon session at Wandsworth Bridge Road
conducted by Dr. Barrett.
The public mind is becoming yearly more conscious of the importance of regular medical
supervision of pregnancy, and the demand for this, and for the hospitalisation of labour, increases;
but there is much to be done yet to spread tho conviction that every pregnant woman should
have medical supervision from early pregnancy, whether she intends to have the services of
a doctor at the actual confinement or not.
The accidents and risks of child birth are every year greater than they should be, and
pregnant women can do so much to reduce this risk if they will only obtain for themselves
proper antenatal supervision.
The antenatal clinics are intended primarily for supervision with a view to the occurrence
of a safe confinement. It is the duty of Medical Officers of antenatal clinics to satisfy themselves
that any abnormalities are known and provided against, and that ever}' woman attending
has made suitable arrangements for the proper conduct of her confinement. A close co-operation
h maintained between the clinics and the doctors or midwives concerned with all cases; and
v.ritten reports are sent when necessary.
All patients who are booked for their confinements in the Council's Maternity Home are
required to attend at the antenatal clinics. It will be seen from the following table that the actual
number of new patients attending has considerably increased from 1935. Quite a number,
however, make only a single attendance, on account of their being referred to hospitals and
attending the antenatal clinics there; others are sent by hospitals to obtain grants of milk or dinners,
and since such patients continue under the observation of the hospital doctors, only one
attendance may be registered.
It does not seem to be understood as widely as it should be, that any expectant mother
in the Borough who is attending an antenatal department of a hospital may attend as well the
Borough antenatal clinics to avail herself of the various activities of the Fulham antenatal clinics.
ANTENATAL CLINICS.