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75
Nursing Mothers.
Owing to the greater number receiving their treatment antenatally,
the proportion of mothers first inspected during the nursing
period continues to decline.
New cases referred were 44 compared with 55 last year. Those
seen during the first six months after their confinement constituted
79 per cent, of the total number referred; the remainder with
infants between seven and twelve months received mostly emergency
treatment.
In addition to the above a large amount of treatment was also
completed for those referred before their confinements in the
previous year.
Treatment.
Including those continuing treatment from the previous year,
the total of expectant and nursing mothers treated was 778 compared
with 733 in 1943.
As before, a substantial amount of treatment has been of a
conservative nature; there has also been a rise in the number of
dentures inserted.
One less satisfactory feature noted is that of those referred
from the medical side approximately 20 per cent, tail to present
themselves for dental examination when required to do so.
Attempts at following up such cases have been singularly unsuccessful,
and though a small minority attend at a later date when
toothache intervenes, there is, apparently), still a substantial
ssction of expectant mothers receiving medical attention who,
through ignorance or prejudice, fail to avail themselves of existing
dental facilities.
The Pre-School Child.
The total of the above children referred from Welfare Centres
and other sources was 299. This figure is slightly 'ess than that
of the previous year, which was below that recorded in normal
times. One probable cause is that wartime employment undertaken
by mothers tends to restrict treatment for this class of
patient.
Whilst, as might be expected from the number of interruptions
experienced, treatment figures were generally slightly lower than
in the previous year, the number of fillings inserted shows,
curiously enough, a definite increase on 1943. Full details are
to be found in the ensuing Table.