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51
The number of children admitted under two years who
developed infections in the nurseries is high. At Ellingham
Road 35 children out of 60 who remained over three months
in the nursery had one or more infections, and at Knotts
Green 54 children out of 72. The commonest infections were
of the catarrhal type—measles, whooping cough, german
measles and pneumonia, but scarlet fever, mumps, dysentery,
jaundice and chicken pox all occurred. I included acute
bronchitis only if it resulted in several weeks absence from
the nursery. Some children had as many as four infectious
diseases, and of 60 children (including the admissions under
12 months) who remained twelve months or over, only seven
escaped infection.
It has been suggested that places might be kept in the
nurseries for the children of mothers who are ill or who are
pregnant. So far we have usually found that if a mother
is ill she does not send her child to the nursery. If the mother
is seriously ill, day nursery provision is not adequate, and in
any case someone would have to be available to bring the
child to and from the nursery.
A scheme of domestic helps would be more serviceable
for both these groups of mothers. If places were to be kept
for children who were only intended to be in the nursery for
three months or less I would suggest that they should be in
the over two years age group, at which age the child settles
more readily without emotional disturbance, derives benefit
from contact with other children, and an infection is a less
serious matter.
In the new training scheme for nursery nurses a suggestion
is made that experience in handling babies under six
months should be gained in the homes.
After consideration of that report the Welfare Authority
decided that, during the period of transition from war to normal
peace-time conditions, preference be given to the children of:—
(i) employed unmarried mothers who wish to keep their
babies with them when not at work;
(ii) employed widows;
(iii) mothers employed in industries vital to production for
essential home needs and for export; and
(iv) mothers who are ill or being confined.