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117
Children from the age of two years are seen at the toddlers'
clinics. Roughly five-twelfths of the children who attended during
1936 were between 3-4 years; and rather more of the remaining
seven-twelfths were between 2-3 than between 4-5. No attempt
has been made to compile any statistics of defects, as it is considered
that they would not give a true picture of the health of 2-5-year-old
children in Leyton. Only a small proportion of the children of
these years can be dealt within two weekly sessions, and the mother
who recognises there is something wrong with her child's health is
more likely to attend the clinic than the mother who considers
her child is in good health.
The commonest physical defect is undoubtedly carious teeth,
although unfortunately it is exceptional for a mother to bring her
child for dental treatment before there is toothache and the tooth
is too far gone to be filled. It is amazing how an apparently careful,
reasonably intelligent mother will leave her child's teeth until there
are abscesses in the gums before coming for treatment. Education
on this point has a long way to go. It is often difficult to understand
why the teeth have decayed. There is often no apparent fault in
the feeding from infancy onwards, and the nutrition may be otherwise
good.
Convalescent Home Treatment.
Children.
During the year 44 children, recommended by the Clinic
Medical Officer, were sent to Convalescent Homes by the Maternity
and Child Welfare Authority through the agency of the Invalid
Children's Aid Association.
In two cases the convalescence had to be curtailed : in one case
because of illness of the matron, and in the second because the
child (a boy aged 21 years) did not settle and it was reported by the
matron that he seemed to delight in attacking the other babies.
The remaining 42 children had periods of convalescence varying
from four to eighteen weeks. Two-thirds of the children were away
at least eight weeks, and of these half were away twelve weeks or
longer. The majority did extremely well. There were some
striking differences in the results, as shown by the gain in weight,
even in children of the same age. Two girls of 4 years 3 months
happened to be sent away at the same time—in the first quarter
of the year. One was at Basingstoke for two months and gained
5 lbs.—as much as she had gained in the previous two years. The
other was at Southbourne for four months and gained only 1/2 lb.;