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38
CORNWALL ROAD INFANT CONSULTATIONS.
Dr. K. M. Horton reports :
Infant Consultations have been held 5 times weekly at
this Centre. The two morning clinics available at the same
time as the two Milk Grants sessions, continue to be small in
number, but the afternoon clinics have been well attended.
Health Talks have been given at intervals and the exhibition
of model clothing has been on view. The waiting time has
been reduced to the minimum as it is realised how urgent it
is for our mothers to get home as quickly as possible.
Progress has been made in the attempt to reduce overclothing,
the exceptional hot sunny summer being a valuable
ally. Mothers seem to understand the problem of underfeeding
but the danger of overfeeding is still not appreciated by many.
As last year, the importance of teaching and of child management
is to my mind the most outstanding fact to be noticed.
The child who refuses to eat or sleep, the constipated child,
the child who refuses to let his mother feed the new baby
without interference, the child with enuresis, in fact the
Worried child, is with us in large numbers. The most careful
physical examination shows no defect and in the majority of
cases the mother, though a careful mother, is also over-anxious.
These are the children who cannot go to a convalescent home
because they will be separated from the parent. These are
the children with the active, sensitive minds who, properly
managed, may go further than most in after life, but who
will inevitably fall below standard unless they are. Such
children need the care and attention that only small clinics
can give and the frequent attendances at them that are difficult
for our mothers to make.
Friendly co-operation between the neighbouring hospitals
and the clinics continues and the growing custom of sending
written records of the feeding in hospital enables us to ensure
that continuity that is so vital in successful artificial feeding of
infants. Many hospitals now have their own Infant Welfare
clinics at which attendances are made up to two months of age.
It may be that the normal healthy baby thus fails to attend
at one of our clinics, and while this will account for variation
in our numbers we are content, for the baby has received the
necessary advice and supervision elsewhere.
It is interesting to record that we have had a steady
number of students at the clinics from the College of Nursing
and the London Hospital. They seem keenly interested and
it is hoped that they will continue, not only for the profit to
themselves but for the stimulus that they provide for our
permanent staff.