[Report 1949] / Medical Officer of Health, Ogmore & Garw U.D.C.

  • Ogmore & Garw (Wales). Urban District Council.
Date:
1949
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1949] / Medical Officer of Health, Ogmore & Garw U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The absence of such causes can, in some measure, be attributed -C the fact that the more serious cases are now hospitalized—some at the Blackmill Isolation Hospital where beds are available on account of the decrease in diphtheria cases. Still-Births. There were 13 still births, 7 of which were premature. There were 2 maternal deaths in this group. One of the mothers did not attend the ante natal clinic at all the other at the fifth month only. Of the remainder, 6 did not attend the ante natal clinic at all; one attended at the seventh month, one a month before preg- nancy and one a week before pregnancy; only two attended regu- larly. This is to be deplored, whether they attend their family doctor or not for ante natal attention, it is a considerable advantage to them to attend the clinics as well. One would think that the old system of permitting the Health Visitors to arrange their own visits so that they might pay greater attention to those families which need most supervision and encouragement, would be advan- tageous in cases like these. Admittedly routine visits are not waste visits but it would be wise to call more frequently on those in need of education in mother craft than on those, who, in the Health Visitor’s opinion are less dependent on her aid. In 2 cases only were the home conditions good. 3 of the 43 mothers of the 13 infants who died under one year of age, of the 13 infants who were still born and of the 17 premature infants who survived, lived on the new housing sites. The remainder, for the most part, lived in the old fashioned houses with no bathrooms where often several miners return un- bathed all at different times. The women of the area work extremely hard and it is well known that this, at least, is a contributory factor to causing still births and prematurity. Once again I stress the value of labour saving houses. Many of the women under discussion were not in good health at the commencement of their pregnancy and since they had little or no chance to rest, the foetus could not develop properly.