[Report 1966] / Medical Officer of Health, St Helens County Borough.

St. Helens (Merseyside, England). County Borough Council.

Date:: 1966

Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1966] / Medical Officer of Health, St Helens County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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THE CARE OF UNMARRIED MOTHERS.—As in previous years, special consideration was given to the care of the unmarried mother and her child, and arrangements were made for admission of cases to St. Monica’s Home, Liverpool, and the Mater Dei Home, Blundellsands, and to other appropriate homes. All cases of unmarried expectant mothers coming to the knowledge of the Department through Health Visitors, Municipal Midwives, Moral Welfare Workers and other agencies, are notified to the Medical Officer in charge of Maternity and Child Welfare Services, who, after investigation, decides which cases can be dealt with at home or through local hospitals, and which cases can most suitably be dealt with by periods of residence in suitable Homes. The mother is admitted to the Home about two months before the expected confinement and remains there after confinement until suitable arrange¬ ments can be made for the after-care of herself and the child. During 1966, 57 unmarried mothers were assisted under these arrangements. In the majority of cases it was found that the parents were willing to keep the girl at home during the pregnancy if some arrangements could be made for the confinement. The following list gives the places of confinement:— Cowley Hill Maternity Hospital . 19 Whiston Hospital, Prescot . 12 Parents’ homes . 6 Diocesan or other Voluntary Homes . 17 Other Hospitals. 3 Total . 57 Mothers entering Homes are assisted by the Corporation in the payment of their fees. All the unmarried mothers were helped to take out Affiliation Orders. Every effort was made in all cases to enable the mother to keep the child with her in the parental home, and in many cases these efforts were successful.