View report page

45
PERSONAL HEALTH SERVICES
MATERNITY AND CHILD HEALTH CENTRES
There are thirteen Maternity and Child Health Centres in the Borough, some
in purpose built or adapted accommodation, and others in rented premises.
Premises in Kirkstall Road have been converted for use as a new Maternity
and Child Health Centre and will improve the facilities in the Streatham Hill area.
Improvements have been made to the West Norwood Centre, including the
provision of new floor coverings.
During the year plans were approved for a new Maternity and Child Health
and School Treatment Centre in Weir Road, S.W.12, which will replace unsatisfactory
converted and rented premises and provide first class facilities for the
Clapham Park area of the Borough.
Facilities are provided by the Council at some of the Centres for general
practitioner obstetricians to see their own booked maternity patients and 224
such sessions were held during the year.
Dental treatment is provided for expectant and nursing mothers and children
under five years, the attendances being 25 and 657 respectively. The service is
provided in conjunction with that for school children, combined use being made
of the staff and premises.
National Welfare foods (dried milk, cod liver oil and orange juice) are issued
at approved prices at all the Maternity and Child Health Centres. In addition,
certain proprietary baby foods are supplied on the recommendation of clinic
doctors or health visitors to children who attend the centre.
Tests for the detection of phenylketonuria, a metabolic disorder which, if
left untreated, may lead to mental subnormality, are carried out by health visitors
on all babies before the age of eight weeks.
Mothercraft and relaxation classes are held by domiciliary midwives and
health visitors in the Maternity and Child Health Centres for both hospital and
domiciliary booked patients.
There were 76,717 attendances at child health and toddlers' sessions and
2,357 attendances at ante-natal and post-natal clinic sessions.
The Health and Welfare Committee considered the report of the Sheldon
Committee on the Medical Functions and Medical Staffing of Child Welfare Centres
and was pleased to note that the bulk of the recommendations were already normal
practice in Lambeth. The change of name to Child Health Services as more
properly describing the preventive functions of the former Child Welfare Service
was agreed.