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9
Following-up.—A Review of the arrangements for
the Following-up of Children suffering from
Physical Defects, including a Summary of
Work undertaken by the School Nurses.
The discovery alone of physical defects in the school
child is not the sole purpose of the School Medical Service.
If the child is to receive any benefit from such
examination it follows that the recommendations given
at the time should be carried out and the defective condition,
if at all possible, remedied. The parents are
therefore notified of the presence of any defect found in
their child, and are recommended at once to give it their
attention, either through their own private Doctor or
through the School Clinic. Those children having defects
are put upon record, and are not allowed to slip
past without some effort being made to remedy their condition.
Some of the parents are very ready indeed to accept
our advice or our aid, but others unfortunately, do not.
They do not see the necessity for it or are indifferent to
the possible ill results to the child from their want of
attention. These latter are the eases which require to be
" followed up " time after time with patience and tact.
It is here that the qualities of your nurses are tried.
They visit the homes of the children to impress upon the
parents the necessity for dealing with these defects, in
order that their child may be fitted for the battle of life.
Their persuasive powers are on many occasions successful,
so that we at the School Clinic are able to give
relief by the Dentist, the Ophthalmic Surgeon, the
Operating Surgeon for Tonsils, etc., and where necessary
the examination of children who want a little advice
or guidance in health. If one visit by the nurse does
not succeed, we hope to succeed by another. If promises
are made by the parents the nurse calls in a few weeks'
time to ascertain if these have been kept, and the defect
remedied.
Especially are the tuberculous children kept under
our notice, either those with pulmonary tuberculosis or