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accepted and there has been no significant increase in the number
of young unmarried people seeking advice. Nevertheless the Branch
Excutive Committee are aware of the needs of young people, and
as soon as possible it is intended to establish a centre where they
can be given advice (not necessarily contraceptive) by medical staff
specially trained to cope with the emotional and sexual problems
of the adolescent."
Congenital Malformations
Congenital malformations probably constitute today's greatest
challenge to paediatrics and most advanced countries are seeking
to discover the aetiologies, the first step to which is the recording of
the various conditions.
Congenital malformations are notified to the department and
summaries are forwarded to the Ministry of Health in accordance
with the scheme introduced on 1st January, 1964. Obviously the
success of the scheme is dependent upon the support given by the
doctors, hospital staffs and midwives and also upon the accuracy
with which they solve the difficulties of diagnosis of malformations
presenting proximal to parturition. Because only those malformations
detected at birth are reported under the scheme, constant
vigilance must be maintained in subsequent examinations in order
that those congenital conditions which produce signs and symptoms
only after the early weeks of life are duly recorded.
The following tables give information regarding malformations
notified to the department during 1967 compared with those returned
for England and Wales in 1966.

NOTE:—This table indicates the number of malformations NOT the
number of children.