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9
once more but conversely the rise in early discharges from
hospital following delivery continued the steady upward trend of
recent years. Thus the overall total of patients attended in their
own homes in the Borough in relation to confinement and/or the
puerperium by the domiciliary midwifery service exceeded one
thousand; in addition no fewer than 924 specimens of blood were
were obtained from infants for the performance of the Guthrie test
so important in excluding the presence of the serious metabolic
disorder which results in phenylketonuria and, if undetected at a
very early stage, permanent mental retardation. Five midwives
attended antenatal clinics held by general practitioners in their
own surgeries. Continued support for the family doctor in the
field of child health was provided in the child health centres,
the number of children attending the clinic sessions held there
again exceeding 12,000. In relation to both the infant and the
toddler increasingly the medical emphasis is being placed on
developmental paediatric assessment at key ages to ensure the
early detection of defective hearing, impaired vision, neurological
or other physical abnormalities, and mental impairment so that, in
consultation with the general practitioner, remedial measures can
be instituted promptly and special educational arrangements
anticipated where appropriate. At the end of 1972 a total of
1,456 children under the age of 5 - 289 handicapped children (of
whom 84 had multiple handicaps) and 1,167 children considered
to be at risk on account of genetic, pre-natal or peri-natal
factors - out of some 25,000 children in this pre-school agegroup
were under regular surveillance, their names being included
to this end in a special handicap and observation register. To
facilitate attendance at these developmental clinics, embracing
assessment, counselling and routine immunization, evening
sessions were introduced at Tooting and Chatham Hall and the
whole-time medical establishment of the Department was
augmented. A major landmark in the child health services
provided by the Council was the opening at the beginning of
February of the new Doddington Child Health Centre; in addition
to the traditional infant and toddler clinic sessions this most
welcome purpose-built building caters for audiology, orthoptics,
antenatal supervision, mothercraft and relaxation classes,
cervical cytology, family planning, chiropody and health
education. Other notable milestones, of which full details are
given in the body of the Report, included the forging of even
firmer links with the paediatric departments of local hospitals
and the Braidwood Audiology Unit, the launching in collaboration
with the Social Services Department of a day observation unit at
a children's home in Blackshaw Road, and the provision of
physiotherapy assistance at the Summerley Day Nursery Special