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The Minister is, however, concerned to find in many areas
insufficient attention is being given to the health of children between
the ages of 18 months and five years. He understands that more
than 16 per cent. of the children entering school are found to
require treatment for some disease or defect, and it is clear that
in many cases these conditions could have been prevented from
developing or could have been quickly cured if adequate supervision
of the health of the children had been exercised throughout the
pre-school years.
The Minister mentions the policy of the Government in regard
to the provision of nursery schools and the admission of children
under five years of age to the infant departments of elementary
schools, but whatever provision is made on the lines there suggested,
very considerable numbers of children under the age of five will
remain at home, and in the interests of their health it is essential
that in all areas there should be systematic visiting of these young
children who are not in attendance at school.
It is pointed out that it should be the duty of the Health
Visitor to see these children at regular intervals to make enquiries
as to their state of health and to be on the look-out for any
symptoms or signs which suggest a departure from normal health.
In all cases where there is ground for suspecting disease or defects,
the mother should be advised to consult the family doctor, or to take
the child to the appropriate clinic for medical examination.
In some areas, special arrangements have been made for the
holding of " toddlers' clinics " at the Infant Welfare Centres, and
there is much to be said for these arrangements if the mothers can
be persuaded to bring the toddlers periodically to the clinics for
examination by the doctor, but the success of these clinics will
depend to a great extent on the regular visiting of the homes by
the Health Visitor and on the relations which she is able to
establish with the mothers.
The Minister further states that, in many areas, the school clinic
is available for the treatment of minor ailments and of special
defects in young children, and it is desirable that such arrangements
should be more generally made.