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Infant Welfare Centres.
Six Infant Welfare Centres have been established by the Council,
which are held from 2.30 to 4.0 p.m. at the following places:—
Methodist Church, Brighton Road, Coulsdon
Every Thursday.
Church of St. Francis, Rickman Hill, Coulsdon
Every Tuesday.
Methodist Church, Sylverdale Road, Purley
Every Friday.
Church Hall, Bradmore Green, Old Coulsdon
Second and fourth Wednesday in each month.
Baptist Ham,, Addington Road, Selsdon
Every Monday.
Congregational Church, Sanderstead Road, Sanderstead
First and third Thursdays in each month.
The average attendances at the two most recently established
Centres both increased satisfactorily during the year. Those for the
Brighton Road and Selsdon Centres are now so high that it was decided
that after March, 1938, doctors who had previously attended on two
sessions a month should be present at each session in the month.
It is pleasing also to note further increased average attendances at
the well-established Rickman Hill and Kenley Centres.
The total attendance at all Centres was no less than 17,038 as compared
with 14,658 in 1937, when the total attendance was exactly double that
in 1932.
The growth of this Service is a feature in civic life which is apt to
be overlooked. Child Welfare Centres and health visitation have come
to be looked upon as part of the normal service of a Local Authority
needing no special consideration or remark. The steady solid work
which is given to these annually to make them as successful as they
are as agents in improving the health of the youngest residents should
not be accepted without comment, and all who assist in these directions
are thanked for their continued devotion to this valuable work.
Toddler's Clinics.
Considerable thought was given during the year to the question of
establishing special Toddler's Clinics. It has been generally noted that,
especially when increasing attendances are experienced as at the local
Centres, the majority of the attention of the Doctors and Health Visitors
becomes focussed upon the newly-born babies. Time permits relatively
little notice being given to the older children unless these present definitely
abnormal features, which are often noted first by the parents.
With a view to securing that these older children shall have more
adequate supervision hocal Authorities have been encouraged to make
special provision for their periodical examination, separate clinics or
sessions being set aside for the purpose.
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