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Early records are not available of attendances at different types of sessions but
the following table gives a comparison between 1949 and 1950 :—

With regard to the age incidence of infant attendance and the extent to which
local populations are covered, the following table shows, for each Division, attendances
and children attending per 1,000 population in the age groups under 1 and 1-4 years.
It will be seen that 79 per cent. of infants attended a centre at least once in their first
year of life. This compares with 84 per cent. in 1949 and confirms the suggestion
that attendances have been falling off to a small extent. Those infants who attend
in their first year do so about fifteen times ; it is general experience that for eight or
nine months the mother's anxiety about the progress of the infant brings her regularly
to the clinic for weighing, medical advice and mothercraft guidance, but that, with
normal progress, attendances thereafter fall off rapidly. It will be seen that 37 per
cent. of the infant population (between 1 and 5) attend after the first year for three
or four further visits. Special toddlers' clinics are arranged and attractive birthday
cards are sent to mothers to remind them of the facilities for preventive advice. Onefifth
of the infants who attend in response to these invitations are referred for treatment
for ailments which the parents might not otherwise have recognised or have
taken any action about.