View report page

Total
inspections
68
The grand total of children inspected during the year of whom records were
taken amounted to 357,424, being 18,907 more than in 1927 and 27,029 more than
in 1926. When it is considered that in addition there were 187,480 re-inspections of
children kept under observation for defects found at previous inspections, the total
number of children seen by doctors during a year forms a very high percentage of
children in attendance. Every child in attendance is also seen three times a year
by the school nurse.
Although it is stated that each child attending an elementary school is seen three
times during school life, at entry to school, on reaching the age of 8 years, and on
reaching the age of 12 years, and in London a fourth time when about to leave school,
the statement falls far short of giving a complete account. It is only healthy children
who receive this minimum amount of care, all ailing children are seen far oftener.
Attendance
of parents.
Parents are invited to attend all primary age group inspections ; 65.5 per cent,
attended in response to the invitation, an increase of 1 per cent, over the previous
year. Only 32.9 per cent, of parents attended the examination of leaving boys,
but 87.5 per cent, attended the inspection of entrant infants.
Refusals to allow examination are few in number, and during the year 1928
the parents of only 156 (151) children refused to allow them to be examined by
the Council's medical officers. (The figures in brackets refer to the year 1927.)
Of these children, 51 were boys and 105 were girls and were divided amongst the
divisions as follows :—E., 12 ; N.E., 10 ; N.W., 52 ; S.E., 39 ; S.W., 43. 18 (17)
of these objections were subsequently withdrawn, and in 14 (12) cases either the
medical record cards were filled up by a private practitioner or medical certificates
were supplied.
Requests
from other
looal
authorities
for medical
record cards
In the course of the year applications were received from other local authorities
for the medical record cards of 487 (483) children who had left London and removed
to other areas. These requests were received from numerous authorities throughout
England and Wales. Of the cards asked for 288 (316) were sent; of the remainder
45 (47) had not been examined, 115 (96) could not be traced, and 39 (25) belonged
to other neighbouring authorities, i.e., Willesden, East Ham, etc.
Children
referred
for
treatment
115,174 children in the age groups were referred for treatment for various
ailments; the proportion referred was 43.2 per cent, compared with 44 per cent,
in 1927. Many of the above were referred on account of dental caries, and if this
ailment be excluded there remain 49,720, or 18.7 per cent., children referred for
various later detailed ailments. This is about 1 per cent, less than in 1927.
Results of
medical
inspection,
1928.
The analysis of the results of medical inspection immediately following
is limited to the three statutory age groups in order to facilitate comparison with
previous years. The results of the extra examination of children leaving will be
separately dealt with.
Nutritional
condition of
school
children.
In 1925, 6.3 per cent, of the children in the three age groups were found to
be under-nourished. In succeeding years the percentages were 6.2, 5.3 and 5.1,
respectively. The improvement noticed last year has, therefore, been maintained, and,
in gross, is the best result hitherto obtained. In each age group girls continue to be
better nourished than boys.
Cleanliness.
As a result of tne continuous and unrelenting campaign in tne scnools against
conditions of uncleanliness extraordinary improvement has been secured. The
great success which has attended this campaign is to be attributed entirely to the
patient and devoted work of the school nurses, who have, however, in the teeth
of opposition, sometimes very fierce, been supported by all departments of the
Council's service. The standard set in London is a very high one, and the parents
are notified by the school nurse of the slightest lapse from a rigid standard, even if
the lapse amounts to the presence of only one or two nits.
The index which is taken for comparison is the condition of the hair of the
12-year-old girls. In 1913 only 67.2 per cent, of the older girls were completely free