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The Deputy Medical Officer of Health also holds an assessment session at King's
College Hospital and between June and December 1971, 34 appointments were made.
(Closer liaison continued to develop with the Hospitals in the area.)
Impaired Hearing in Young Children
Standard screening tests for the hearing of babies and young children were
carried out by medical staff with special training in this work. Any child thought to
have impaired hearing was referred, with the consent of the general practitioner, to the
Council's otologist for further examination and added to the handicapped register.
Young children with impaired hearing who required a hearing environment and
children who failed to acquire speech because their parents were deaf or because of
language difficulties in the home, were, on the recommendation of the otologist, permitted
to attend day nurseries for three hour sessions without charge.
Phenylketonuria
Phenylketonuria is a rare inborn metabolic disorder in which a baby is born
without one of the essential chemicals that help to break down food for digestion: this
results in one of the ingredients of most foods building up to a high level in the body,
which have a damaging effect on the brain. Screening tests for the detection of phenylketonuria
using the Guthrie test were carried out routinely on all young babies, those
thought to be at special risk were retested.
The Guthrie test involves the taking of a blood sample.
Prophylaxis
Protection is offered in child health centres against diphtheria, whooping cough,
tetanus, poliomyelitis, smallpox and measles to children below school age. Special
sessions are also held in schools when necessary. In addition, B.C.G. vaccination
against tuberculosis of children aged 12-13 years is carried out in schools. Vaccination
may also be given by the family doctor and vaccines (except B.C.G. vaccine) are
supplied to general practitioners free of charge.
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