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the medical session held at the infant welfare centres to which mothers should
take their pre-school children regularly.
The purpose of these clinics was to offer to mothers living in the areas of
the municipal centres, especially mothers who never bring their children to a
centre, an opportunity of obtaining advice periodically on such matters as dietary
behaviour, training and mental development, as well as obtaining a physical
examination (which is conducted on the lines of a school medical examination)
of their children who have reached the age of one year, the age when a mother is
inclined to think that her baby is doing splendidly and there is no need to attend
an Infant Welfare Centre.
Children attending toddlers' clinics who are found to suffer from physical
defects requiring treatment are referred to their family doctor, hospital, or a
minor ailments treatment centre provided under the Council's Scheme, and are
followed up by the Health Visitor to ensure that they receive the prescribed
treatment.
I venture to emphasise that the results to be noted from the work conducted
at these clinics are convincing, and I hope that the necessary recommendations
will be made to the Council to place on a permanent basis the valuable work begun
a few months ago on behalf of pre-school children.
In this event it will be necessary to appoint an additional permanent health
visitor either for toddlers' supervision and clinic duties at the Peckham, Dulwich,
Mayward House and eventually Sumner Road Centres, or as district health visitor
for the Sumner Road Centre area. Dr. Colver is willing to continue to act as Clinic
Medical Officer at a fee of £1 lis. 6d. per session, and I recommend his reappointment
on these terms.
In conclusion, I have much pleasure in including with this report, a report
from Dr. T. Colver, the Clinic Medical Officer, on the medical aspect of the work
carried out at these experimental Clinics during the past ten months.
Yours obedient Servant,
(Signed) H. W. Barnes, Medical Officer of Health.
Camberwell Municipal Toddlers' Clinics.
The clinic for the annual examination of pre-school children has now been
established ten months. During this period 365 children have attended at Mayward
House, 333 at Dulwich, 293 at Peckham and 245 at Camberwell. 36 per cent, of
these children were aged one year, 29 per cent, two years, 21 per cent, three years
and 14 per cent, four years. The total number of attendances (including repeated
visits in certain cases) have amounted to 1,363.
The aims of the clinic may once more be summarised under three heads :-
(1) The detection of mental and physical handicaps as far as possible by
physical examination, a study of home environment and further investigation
when necessary.
(2) The arrangement of treatment when necessary (tonsil infection, iron
deficiency, dental caries).
(3) The far more important task of assessing and minimising the three
underlying causes of ill-health in the child which are :—
(a) mismanagement,
(6) malnutrition,
(c) recurrent infection.
These three factors are usually associated.