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21
position. Women will have children when they see other women's
children bright, healthy, happy, bonny and thriving, and when
they know that everything that can be done will be done for themselves
in child-birth and for their children when they are born.
To allow women to work in factories a second day nursery
was opened in Enfield in July, 1942. This is a hutted nursery
made of Maycrete and designed to accommodate 60 children. I
have every praise for the layout of the nursery though I think it
unfortunate that it was not built of better material. It was one
of the first of the prefabricated nurseries to be built in England
and I have no doubt that the experience gained in its construction
will prove of value in future nurseries to be built throughout the
country. The children in our day nurseries have thrived satisfactorily.
A third nursery is under construction but at the time of
writing this report it was not completed.
During the latter part of the year a campaign to immunise
children under five years of age against diphtheria was carried out
and in accordance with the recommendations of the Ministry of
Health the duty of securing as great a success as possible was
placed upon the Health Visitors, each being responsible for her
own district. During the year 2644 children under 5 years of age
were immunised, and at the conclusion of the campaign in early
1943 I was able to report that the percentage of children between
the ages of 1 and 5 years of age immunised was 76.7. Much praise
is due to the Health Visitors for the fine response they made to this
call upon them.
Two additions have been made to the service we can supply
to our young children.
By arrangements with the Education Committee children
suffering from speech defects attend the Speech Therapy Clinic.
It is a service which I hope to see developed ; good speech is most
essential and permanent errors can sometimes be cured if dealt
with in early life.
Secondly, I have arranged to see all cases of orthopaedic defects
myself and to obtain Specialist advice for such children as may
need it. This has worked satisfactorily and although only a wartime
measure, it has contributed greatly to improvement in the
health of certain of our children.
If I have written at some length in these opening remarks, my
only apology can be that I believe every member of the Council is
desirous that there shall be no diminution in the care and attention
we can give to the mothers and children of our district on account
of the War.
I would take this opportunity of expressing to the Members