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67
Maternity and Child Welfare.
Borough of Wandsworth War Memorial Maternity Home.
The Maternity Home is situated in Grove Road, Balham,
adjoining the Weir Hospital and provides accommodation for
'20 patients with two isolation beds. The management of the
Home is undertaken by the Committee of the Weir Hospital on
behalf of the Borough Council.
The staff consists of a Resident Medical Officer, two sisters,
four staff nurses, seven nurses and nine domestics. Two Consultants
have been appointed who visit the Home regularly. The
Secretary of the Weir Hospital is responsible for the administrative
work at the Maternity Home and the nursing and domestic
staff are under the supervision of the Matron of the Hospital.
The fee charged for admission to the Home is based on the
income of the applicant's family in accordance with a scale which
has been approved by the Council. Each applicant is expected
to remain in the Home for 14 days.
During the past year 369 women were admitted to the Home
and the average duration of stay was 14.81 days. 308 deliveries
were carried out by the midwives and 60 by the medical staff.
One infant was born just before the mother was admitted to the
Home.
In 127 cases it was necessary for the midwives to summons
medical assistance in accordance with the requirements of the
Midwives Act.
Two cases of Puerperal Fever and ten of Puerperal Pyrexia
were notified from the Home and two deaths of mothers occurred.
One of these was due to Eclampsia and one to Puerperal infection.
Eleven of the infants were still-born and five died within ten
days of birth.
Six infants were notified as suffering from Ophthalmia
Neonatorum.
Every effort is made while the mothers are in the Maternity
Home, to encourage them to feed their infants, but in 49 cases
the natural feeding had to be supplemented.
Day Nurseries.
The addresses of the four Day Nurseries in the Borough
are as follows:—
f 2