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40
The following table shows the attendances at the Infant Clinics during the year 1937:
Clinic.
Number
of Clinics
held.
First
attendances of
Babies.
Total
Attendances.
Age in years
0—1
1—5
0—1
1—5
92, Greyhound Road
255
522
100
6,830
4,147*
170, Wandsworth Bridge Road
196
328
93
4,770
3,107*
Melmoth Hall, Eustace Road
(Closed 30/9/37)
71
176
44
2,620
1,543
Parsons Green
(Opened 10/37)
20
86
17
796
522
Totals
542
1,112
254
15,016
9,319
*Includes 771 attendances made by Toddlers at special clinics (59 sessions).
NOTIFICATIONS OF BIRTH
The Birth Rate was lower last year (13.9 compared with 14.9 in 1936). Under the Public
Health (London) Act, 1936, 1,961 births were notified to the Department during the year, of which
57 were stillborn. The number of births notified by midwives was 1,830, and by doctors and parents
131. The stillbirths equalled 2.9 per cent. of the notified births.
ANTE-NATAL CLINICS
When the new Maternity Home opened it became possible to meet a pressing demand for additional
provision of ante-natal clinics, and the weekly sessions were increased from three to four.
Two of these were held at Parsons Green, one at Greyhound Road and one at Wandsworth Bridge
Road.
The desirability of ante-natal care is gradually being realised by the majority of women,
though there is yet much to be done in the direction of securing its general acceptance. The increased
hospitalisation of labour is tending towards this end, as no hospital or reputable maternity home now
undertakes the care of labour unless ante-natal oversight is also accepted by the patient. In actual
emergency, of course, such a rule is set aside.
It does not seem to be understood so widely as it should be that any expectant mother in the
Borough who is attending an ante-natal department of any hospital may also attend the Borough
ante-natal clinics, and avail herself of the various benefits they provide for the pregnant woman.
All patients who are booked for confinement at the Council's Maternity Home are required to
attend at the ante-natal clinics ; some also are referred by hospitals that they may obtain grants of
milk or dinners, and to be under observation between visits to hospital.
Women could themselves do much to reduce the number of accidents and risks of childbirth
that every year take a toll of the population, if only every prospective mother would accept what is
due to herself in ante-natal care. The Medical Officers at the clinics satisfy themselves that abnormalities,
if such exist, are known and provided against, and that the expectant mother has made
suitable arrangements for the proper conduct of her confinement.
Recent legislation has promoted adequate co-operation between clinics, hospitals, midwives
and local practitioners.