[Report 1949] / Medical Officer of Health, West Lothian County Council.

  • West Lothian (Scotland). County Council.
Date:
1949
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1949] / Medical Officer of Health, West Lothian County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Under the Government’s scheme, provision of free or cheap milk was made to 742 expectant mothers and 9,035 children, but the uptake of vitamins showed no improvement on last year’s figures, although it was in some cases possible to improve distribution arrangements. Local Press publicity was also given to this question in the report of a welfare food demonstration arranged by the Ministry of Food in Bathgate, which was addressed by Provost Glen. Child-birth infections were reduced in 1949 almost to vanishing point, only three mothers being notified as suffer- ing from mild fever. There was only one death from puer- peral sepsis. DOMICILIARY MIDWIFERY All except 4 of the 851 births occurring at home were attended by domiciliary midwives, including private mid- wives in contract with the County Council. In each case a doctor was engaged, and the ante-natal and post-natal care by both doctor and midwife built up by the previous County Maternity Services Scheme was well maintained. The Mater- nity Unit at Bangour Hospital was in operation during the full year, and this has resulted in a 30% reduction in the number of home confinements, although the domiciliary midwives continued to give ante-natal and post-natal super- vision to mothers confined in the Unit. The curriculum for the training of midwives includes the management of cases confined at home, and for this pur- pose arrangements were made with the Hospital Board for the accommodation of pupil midwives at the Nurses’ Home. Bo’ness. Two pupils live in here while they take their cases under the supervision of local midwives, and it is hoped to extend these facilities elsewhere in the County. The difficulty is not only that of accommodation, but also the fact that the presence of the Unit in the County has itself, as noted above, reduced the number of domiciliary cases, thus tending to prolong the period of training on district beyond practical limits. Towards the end of the year a beginning was made in the training of those midwives who do not hold certificates of proficiency in the administration of gas and air for the easing of the pains of childbirth. The course consists of the management of cases in the Maternity Unit and a series of lecture-demonstrations. Two midwives completed the course and obtained their certificates. HEALTH VISITING The health visitors had a busy year in 1949. Besides their attendances at the child welfare and other clinics and