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on the Health and Development of Children" promoted by the Population
Investigation Committee Institute of Child Health, University of London
and the Colour Blindness in Girls Ovarian Agenesis Survey promoted
by the Department of Health, Guy's Hospital. The vision of girls in
the intermediate age group has been tested by the Ishihara Method by
health visitors and school nurses as part of the preparation for
routine medical inspection. Material obtained from this Survey has
been passed to the County Council for forwarding. Phenylketonuria
Survey of all live births - this has involved the testing of urine of
each new baby unless the tests have been completed elsewhere.
Two suspected cases were found but on further investigations proved
to be negative. The procedure connected with the survey of newly
born infants and phenylketonuria still continues as a routine test.
Parents have proved to be interested and co-operative.
Campaigns
As part of their duty to inform the public on matters relating
to or associated with health, health visitors/school nurses have taken
part in publicising national and local campaigns on Accidents in the
Home, Appeals for Blood Donors, Mass X-ray, Smoking and Lung
Cancer, Mental Health, etc. Visual evidence of these which catch
the eye of adults and children, such as flannelgraphs, posters and
leaflets, have been displayed in the clinics to coincide with the timing
of the campaigns.
A very important part of the health visitor/school nurse's
work is the teaching of parentcraft and home-making to individuals in
their own homes and in schools. Married health visitors both fulltime
and part-time are being recruited to the Area and this has made
it possible to keep up the number of health visitors on our establishment
and to maintain the standard of the Health Visiting Service.
Health Visiting and Mental Health
Health visitors' contribution to mental health has been mainly
in supporting families in their day to day troubles and difficulties, in
listening to a great many apparently small matters and in guiding
parents towards their own solutions to problems and in encouraging
them to act upon them. In the two Boroughs of Hornsey and
Tottenham a great many people themselves seek out the health visitor
by visiting her at the welfare centre or by telephoning her there to
make an appointment for a home visit. This early effort to talk
over some particular problem does much to attenuate it and to relieve
anxieties before the difficulty expands to larger proportions. Some
troubles relate to the care of the family during hospital confinement,
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