[Report 1965] / Medical Officer of Health, Lincoln City.

  • Lincoln (England). City Council.
Date:
1965
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1965] / Medical Officer of Health, Lincoln City. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Non-Medical Supervisor of Midwives also attended a Conference of repre¬ sentatives of the Maternity Liaison Committees of the Region at Nottingham on 20th October, 1965. This meeting was the second of its kind held in the area and was very helpful. Home Nursing Service for Premature Babies This service, introduced in July, 1963, continued to provide the special care that is required by these small premature and often very immature babies. Three of the Domiciliary midwives employed by the Local Health Autho¬ rity have received special training for this aspect of their work at St. George’s Hospital, Lincoln, viz: Miss Ford (St. Faith’s area), Mrs. Park (Bracebridge area) and Mrs. English (Newport area). These midwives are also employed, on a rota system, to escort premature babies needing admission to hospital during which journey the portable incubator is used. The work of looking after these small babies involves teaching the parents how to care for them during the time the midwife is not there and this in¬ cludes making them aware of the dangers of inadequate heating and the special needs of these babies, particularly the extra care and attention to cleanliness required in all its aspects. Notification of Congenital Malformations During the year, 10 babies born in 1965 were notified as having congenital malformations observed at birth and details of these malformations are as follows:— Anal atresia .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 Enlarged heart, polycystic kidney, facial palsy .. .. 1 Hypospadias .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 Talipes .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 Hydrocephalus .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 Anencephalus .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 There is no doubt that the above figures do not represent the true incidence of congenital defects but the table is in accordance with the Ministry of Health’s instructions that notification of congenital defects should be con¬ fined to those “observed at birth”. General Remarks There was a slight decrease in the total number of births in Lincoln during 1965 and the number of domiciliary births again decreased from 554 in 1964 to 518 in 1965. The reduction in the domiciliary births was affected by the reduction in the total number of births during the year and also to the fact that an increasing number of women were able to be delivered in hospital and then discharged early to be nursed by the domiciliary midwives. The number of mothers who were “early discharges” from hospital during 1965 was 134. This arrangement allows a greater number of women to be confined in hospital than was formerly the case and the majority of women having their first baby are now able to be confined in hospital. The success of the early discharge scheme, however, depends on close co-operation between the Hospital staff and the Local Authority staff. In Lincoln the degree of co¬ operation is satisfactory and the arrangements work smoothly. The off-duty period of the domiciliary midwives has been increased to two days each week and the days off are so arranged that one week-end in three consists of a four day period off duty. This is the only way that the domiciliary staff can, apart from working a shift system, be brought anywhere near the off duty hours of the Hospital staff.