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noticeable as the child approaches school age, although treatment
for these is not usually begun until the child attends school.
Behaviour problems, such as feeding difficulties, bedwetting and
"tantrums" occur throughout the age-groups and appear to be
on the increase. The present day habit of life with small families
of one or two children is doubtless responsible for this as the children
probably receive far too much individual attention and are actually
suffering from the effects of over-mothering.
The real criterion of this work appears to lie not so much in
figures showing numbers of attendances, but in the advantage
with which the child starts his school life. A child who has had
regular supervision throughout his pre-school life is undoubtedly
in a better position than one who has not. In scrutinizing figures
obtained from a survey of the entrants at an infant school over
a period of two years, it appears at first sight that this is not the
case. Of children born in 1931, 31.3 per cent, of those who had
attended the Welfare Centre were found still to have defects,
whereas of those who had not attended only 30.7 per cent, were
defective. But it must be remembered that many of the children
attending the Centre have been brought because of some defect, and
many of the defects found, particularly orthopaedic defects, require
treatment extending over a considerable period of time, so that
a child who receives treatment under the Maternity and Child
Welfare Service continues without interruption under the School
Medical Service.
Treatment of Defects.—Facilities for the treatment of defects
found in children examined at the child welfare sessions are offered
through the school medical department. As far as possible all
facilities for treatment available for school children are available
for the pre-school child. In addition, expectant and nursing
mothers can receive dental treatment from the School Dentist
and can be submitted for examination b\ the Ophthalmic Surgeon.
Details regarding the number of mothers and children referred
or treatment are to be found on page 23.
Dental Treatment.—The School Dentist reports as follows
regarding the work carried out for mothers and for children under
five years of age:—