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Parental Guidance and the Young Child
It is being increasingly felt that emotional disturbances can
occur very early indeed in the life of the child. The form that
such disturbance takes varies with the age of the child. Too
frequent crying, disturbed sleep, poor feeding, failure to gain weight
in infancy; disturbance in bowel habit and toilet training, nightmares
and restlessness in the toddler phase; excessive destruction and temper
tantrums in the pre-school years, are all indications that the child
may be emotionally distressed.
It is becoming increasingly recognised that such disturbances
are best helped in the very early formative months and years as soon
as signs and symptons appear. For this reason, the Regional
Hospital Board, together with the Health Department of the Local
Authority, have made it possible to have one weekly half session of
consultant psychiatric time for advisory work with the problems of the
under-fives. Its prime purpose is to bring the psychiatric problems
of this group to the notice of health workers in this field, and so
bring about increasingly early diagnosis and treatment. It is hoped
that with growing awareness of their problems and the approach to
them, workers in touch with these children can themselves help the
distress which results from a disturbed mother/child relationship.
This appointment is one of the very few in existence in the country.
Dr. Nina Meyer, therefore, has paid visits to infant welfare,
toddler clinics and nursery schools in order to meet doctors, health
visitors and teachers who are working with this age group. Discussion
and observation during the sessions of normal infant welfare
and toddler clinics have resulted in fifteen children being referred by
medical officers and general practitioners for investigation, recommendations
and treatment. The results have been encouraging.
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