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Out of the total number of mothers who attended, there was one death
—pneumonia after parturition; it is interesting to note that this patient
suffered from pyorrhoea alveolaris, and although advised and warned of
the dangers, she refused to have treatment. It is difficult to get the
mothers to realise the necessity for treatment of dental caries and other
dental conditions. Perhaps a special clinic for this class of patient where
they would meet each other, instead of a general dental department at a
hospital, might be an improvement.
There were three still-births out of the total attendances.
Of the 228 expectant mothers seen during the year, 17 were found on
examination to be abnormal. 1 case of hydramnios, 2 cases of antepartum
haemorrhage, and 8 cases of malposition were referred to Hospital, and
6 cases of albumin in urine were referred to their own Doctors.
With the present staff at the Antenatal Clinic—one Medical Officer
and one Health Visitor—most of the time is taken up with the clinical
side of the work, very little being done on the educational side.
The number of patients who can be efficiently dealt with in a session
is about 10.
It frequently occurs that mothers come to the Clinic in a depressed
state of mind; this condition is observed by the Medical Officer in charge
and it is at once realised that advice at this stage is not expedient, but help
from a psychological point of view is really what is required, and it is
gratifying to report that in several instances a friendly and intimate
chat has had the effect of relieving the depression and causing the prospective
mothers to go away in a more cheerful frame of mind.
There is some difficulty in getting the patients to return monthly
or weekly if necessary, although if they do not return on the day appointed
for them, they are visited or get a reminder to attend. Some of them seem
to think that one visit is sufficient.
The Clinic is too great a distance for some, and especially if they have
to attend more than twice. They usually make the effort to come once,
but very often stop at that, and in the abnormal cases it is most essential
that they attend as often as required. This suggests more Antenatal
Clinics situated nearer the homes of the prospective mothers.
There has been very little difficulty in securing beds for patients
referred to Hospitals for their confinements.
In necessitous cases, milk and sometimes food are supplied to the
mothers.