View report page

between hospital attendances? The health visitors in such cases could
follow a recommended line of management, reinforced, if necessary, by
home visits. It would probably be appreciated by many mothers who
find it difficult to travel quite long distances to hospital with a baby, and
possibly a toddler too, while the clinic is just round the corner.
The Toddler Clinics might also be made use of, when longer and
more leisurely discussion of developmental or behaviour problems is
needed. The busy, bustling atmosphere of an out-patient department is
not necessarily the best setting for such discussion, with little to divert
the child's attention, and too much to divert the adults' minds.
Investigation into the probable cause of Leukaemia
The Department of Social Medicine, Oxford, has undertaken to
investigate all deaths in England and Wales from malignant disease or
leukaemia of children under the age of ten years, which took place from
1953 to 1955. In this Area there were four deaths.
During the last 25 years, the leukaemia death rate in this country has
nearly trebled. There is an abrupt increase in the risk of death from
leukaemia between one and three years of age.
The Senior Medical Officer for Maternal and Child Welfare, Dr.
Helen Garrow, took part in finding out the environmental factors surrounding
each child who died of malignant disease in this Area, and also
of another set of children of the same age and social circumstances who
were alive and well.
As great interest is already aroused on the subject of irradiation from
atomic power plants and waste material, and it is also known that radiologists
have a death rate nine times greater than other physicians, special
attention was paid in the investigation to rays of all kinds. Luminous
clocks, watches, television and pedescopes in shoe shops; therapeutic
and diagnostic x-rays of all kinds were carefully noted. A preliminary
report has been given, that x-rays of the baby before birth may have a
harmful effect. This finding has given all doctors caring for the expectant
mother, a warning to be careful of having her x-rayed, and has also made
radiologists extremely careful of the number and times of exposure of
the films.
Daily Guardian Scheme
Under the general supervision of the Superintendent Health Visitor,
Miss Townsend, this scheme is operated to assist working mothers who
are unable to obtain day nursery accommodation for their children under
five years of age. The scheme is administered from the Area Health
Office and payment of Is. Od. per day is made by the local health
authority to approved guardians for each child minded for the day.
All daily guardians must first be approved by the health visitor for
every child cared for under the scheme and thereafter kept under her
observation. No daily guardian is approved to mind more than two
children and in the majority of cases approval is given for one child only;
and a statement of the conditions of the scheme is given to approved
70