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13
ten were on the register as practising in the district, six being trained
and 4 registered but untrained.
For some years now, a considerable and increasing number of
patients of the wealthier classes have gone to private nursing homes for
their confinement. Expectant mothers of a less wealthy class are now
showing a tendency in the same direction, and in many instances are
being admitted to midwives' houses for the birth of their babies. No
doubt the influence of the war in disturbing domestic arrangements has
increased this tendency, but the advantages derived from the conduct
of a confinement away from a contracted flat or small cottage, in which
are perhaps several young children, and in suitable surroundings and
under more or less constant expert supervision, are no doubt appealing
to all classes of mothers and are likely to be taken advantage of to an
increasing extent in the future.
The axiom that every woman has a right to proper surroundings
and attention at the time of the birth of her child will probably be
accepted without demur. If that is granted, then it cannot be said
that Twickenham is fulfilling its obligations in this respect, and the
question as to whether, at any rate, some provision should not be made
for those expectant mothers who, by reason of some defect, require
special treatment, or who, by reason of unsatisfactory conditions in their
own dwellings, are unable to obtain the care and attention which they
require.
Still greater is the want of hospital accommodation for babies who,
from various causes, may be described as "wasting." It is an evident
fact to those engaged in Infant Welfare Work that a number of babies
who die, and a still greater number of infants who do not "get on,"
would recover, improve, and improve permanently, if they could be
admitted to hospital for a reasonable period and carefully tended. The
treatment that these children require is difficult under the most
favourable circumstances, and becomes practically impossible under the
condition under which many of them have to be brought up. A
scheme for institutional treatment of these cases could be easily
combined with the provision of beds for expectant mothers just
referred to.