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52
TODDLER'S CLINIC.
This clinic is held once weekly on Monday mornings.
A careful history is taken of each child, who is weighed
and measured and a full medical examination follows.
The atmosphere of this clinic is made informal and friendly
to win the confidence of the individual mother and child.
Suitable advice is given and treatment arranged when necessary
and each mother is encouraged to discuss any particular
problem that arises.
The height of the children examined compares well
with a known standard of height for age groups. Weight
shows a definite fall below standard for all groups. Last
year it was shown in the groups of 3 and 4 years of age, but
this year it is apparent in the 2-year-old-group. There can
be no doubt that those children who do not attend the Centre
regularly compare unfavourably with those who do, but even
among these there are too many children below standard
weight. In every case where the parents' income comes
within the Council's scale free milk grants and Cod Liver Oil
and Malt have been ordered.
It is noteworthy that many children who are under
weight have parents whose incomes are above the Council's
scale for free or half-price grants.
Clinical analysis shows that more children are late in
cutting teeth and learning to walk than there were last year
and more deformities of chest are noted. Among those
children requiring treatment for enlarged tonsils 23 children
were mouth-breathers, some owing to adenoids, others
because they had never been taught to breathe through the
nose. These children learned to breathe normally after a
few simple breathing exercises.
All the rickety conditions found were of mild character
and orthopaedic treatment, massage and artificial sunlight
have been ordered as required. There is a decrease in the
total amount of Dental Caries noted. The nervous child
continues to appear in 25 per cent. of all children examined,
showing the varied types that occur. A frank and friendly
talk with the mothers of these children is helpful, though
most of these are as worried as the children themselves.
Systematic attempts to keep both parents and children in
contact with the Welfare Centre are made and the symptoms
clear up.
Age
Standard
Weight
lh.
Average
Weight
lb. oz.
Average
Boys
lb. oz.
Weight
Girls
lb. oz.
2 yrs. 28—29 27 6 28 0 26 5
3 yrs. 33—34 29 14 31 4 28 12
4 yrs. 37—38 34 6 34 6 34 6