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CONGENiTAL DEFECTS
Notifications of congenital abnormalities under the national scheme recommended by the
Ministry of Health in 1963 continued throughout the year Defects found in stillborn and
liveborn children within 36 hours of birth were made on birth notification forms by hospital or
domiciliary staff- details of which are as follows
Number of babies notified as having one or
more congenital defects 34
Number of stillbirths and livebirths notified
over the same period 2,646
The rate of notifications per 1,000 total births was 12,8 compared with 14.7 last year.
There are obvious difficulties in assessing the real incidence of congenital defects under
such a voluntary scheme, but some help does flow in maintaining observation registers and in
follow-up to assess any handicap.
CHILD MINDERS
The amendments to the Nurseries and Child Minders Regulation Act 1948 by Section 60 of
the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 did not come fully into force until February this
year. Wide publicity was given in the Borough to the new requirements which occasioned a
considerable volume of work in the department An Assistant Nursing Officer, appointed for the
purpose, visits all applicants and reports on their suitability, on the conditions existing in
the premises and on the measures necessary to comply with the Act.
By the end of the year women who applied for registration or who otherwise came to the
notice of the department numbered 264 Registrations effected numbered 46 and 7 were refused
registration. Applications cancelled or withdrawn for various reasons totalled 175.
Consequent upon a notice having been seen in a local Post Office advertising a local child
minding service and a report being made by a Health Visitor that she had seen several children
being taken to a house early morningSj attempts were made to interview the occupier of the
premises, but no access could be obtained Letters addressed to the occupier, who was not registered
for child minding, also remained unanswered. A warrant for entry was then obtained from
the Petty Sessional Court, under Section7of the Nurseries and Child Minders Act, which was executed
by the Senior Medical Officer accompanied by two pol ice constables. Two children were found
being minded in unsatisfactory conditions. The circumstances were reported to the Health
Committee, who instructed that the person be cautioned that if she continued minding children in
contravention of the provisions of the Act legal proceedings would be instituted. Child
minding at the premises was subsequently found to have ceased.
Details will be found on page 92 of the Appendix,
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