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As this test is carried out between the sixth and fourteenth day after birth,
hospital authorities were made responsible for collecting the blood from infants born
in hospital and not discharged on or before the sixth day. Domiciliary midwives take
specimens from infants born in hospital and discharged on or before the sixth day,
and also from those born at home or elsewhere than in a National Health Service
Hospital.
Health visitors continued to undertake phenistix tests in the limited number of
cases where for any reason it was not possible to do a Guthrie blood test.
During the year 3,092 phenistix tests and 260 Guthrie tests were carried out but
none of these tests proved positive.
"Battered Babies" Syndrome
I am glad to say that again this year no incidents of young children with
unexplained injuries have been reported to the department or discovered by departmental
doctors and nurses, who continue to be on the alert.
Non-Fatal Accidents to Young Children in their Homes
Towards the end of 1968 the Department of Health and Social Security drew
attention, in circular LHAL 28/68, to the report by a joint sub-committee of the
Central and Scottish Health Services Councils entitled "Hospital Treatment of
Acute Poisoning Although the report was concerned primarily with the treatment
of persons suffering from drug poisoning, it contained a number of references to the
importance of prevention, especially of the accidental self-poisoning of children.
The main points emerging from this report were circulated early in 1969 to all
staff in a position to further public awareness of the dangers arising from inadequate
storage of drugs, medicines and domestic fluids such as disinfectants and cleaning
materials. Arrangements were also made for cases of accidental poisoning in children,
treated at the Enfield Group of Hospitals, to be notified to the Health Office so that
a health visitor might visit the home to discuss with the parents precautions to prevent
a recurrence. Twenty-eight children were notified as admitted to hospital with
suspected poisoning between 21st July (the date notifications were commenced) and
31st December, 1969. All the children were under five years of age. Ten of these had
swallowed aspirin tablets, six had swallowed tablets other than aspirins, six had
drunk household cleaning fluids, five had swallowed miscellaneous substances and
one was reputed to have drunk two cans of beer! Fortunately, none of these children
suffered any serious after-effects.
The Council also has an arrangement with the Ambulance Service, whereby the
Health Office is notified whenever an ambulance is called to take to hospital a child
suffering from a burn or scald.
During 1969, two children were admitted to hospital with burns, and two with
scalds. The children were all under three years of age, and each recovered without
ill-effects.
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