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2
Personal Hygiene
In 1969 there was recorded an 11% increase in the number of children
with infested heads as compared with the previous year, and the annual
increase rose in 1970 to 30%. These are increases over previous rates,
and it must be remembered that less than 1% of the children inspected were
unclean. Nevertheless some parents were understandably disturbed when
their children were notified as verminous. Hair which is allowed to grow
and is worn as intended by nature is easily infested and difficult to cleanse.
Present hair styles for both girls and boys are kind to head lice, which
found little shelter on the shorter locks or more denuded scalps of previous
fashions. Insecticidal shampoos became less efficient and we were back to
the toil and trouble of the fine tooth comb, and legal action against those
unwilling to exert themselves or to allow the Authority to cleanse and.keep
clean their own and their children's hair. These families are the foci of
infestation, never entirely eliminated, and from which in favourable circumstances
the increases stem.
Plantar Warts.
This minor but annoying condition is equally difficult to eradicate.
Relaxation of detection, exclusion from barefoot activities, and prompt
treatment are followed by a temporary increase of prevalence until the
appropriate measures are reinforced. Such an increase was noted last year
and the necessary action taken.
Vision Defects.
In the northern part of the Borough the waiting list for the hospital Eye
Unit became unreasonably long. Following advice from the Consultant
Ophthalmologist the Committee agreed that reference to Opticians should be
offered to parents of children with refractive errors. It is too early to report
on the results of this new procedure.
Defects of the Nervous System
The long waiting list for Intelligence Assessments resulted from an
invitation to Head Teachers for the names of children who should be considered
for the new school for educationally subnormal pupils. It was thus
an exceptional situation and does not reflect some unexplained change in
the ordinary school population. The help of the School Psychological
Service was sought to cope with the problem.
Audiology.
Despite ascertainment during the first year of life, and the use of
sophisticated electronic equipment, a few children remain deaf. This
dashing of earlier hopes that every child could be assured some degree of
hearing has necessitated a national review of educational facilities against
the background of staff shortages. Locally the Kingsley units were