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In the case of Premature Infants, a visit is made once monthly
till the child is one year old. The Health Visitor also visits a
weakly, delicate infant, or young child at more frequent intervals
than the prescribed routine number.
Many children in this Borough enter the Infant Department
of the Elementary Schools at four years of age,
when the child is transferred to the School Medical Service.
Notes of the progress of each child from birth, also of the illnesses
from which the child has suffered, are sent to the School Medical
Officer immediately the child enters school, where they are available
for reference by the School Doctor when the first school medical
inspection takes place. A similar transfer takes place if a
young toddler (2—5 years) enters one of the Council's Nursery
Schools. But in this case, should the child leave that school before
he is old enough to be admitted to an ordinary Infant Department,
supervision of his health is then resumed by the Maternity and
Child Welfare Department. In this way it is felt that a close and
constant watch is being kept on the health of the infants and
young children before reaching school age. With the increased
number of Health Visitors, it has been found possible to subdivide
the Borough into districts of a size more compatible with
the requirements regarding number and adequacy of home visits
by each Health Visitor. The results are already evident by the
increased attendances at clinics of toddlers from 2—4 or 5 vears.
The Health Visitors are kept in touch with the advice given at
the Welfare Centres regarding infants and children, so that they
may follow up their cases to see that the advice is being' carried
out, and that any treatment ordered is being arranged and undertaken.
A very high percentage of infants under one year of age
were taken to the clinics during 1931—viz., 88.9%. It is through
the efforts at the visits to the homes by the Health Visitors that
such a gratifying result is obtained.
Antenatal Visiting. Systematic home visiting of expectant
mothers is undertaken by the Health Visitors, resulting again in
increased attendances at Antenatal Clinics. Through these visits
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