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1ll
The total number of births in the Borough during 1935 was 1,290. During the
same year the total number of visits paid by health visitors to children aged one to
five years was 8,838, and the average number of visits to each child aged one to five
years was 1.5.
(,d) Hospital Treatment.
In the wards at the Model Welfare Centre, ten beds are provided for children
under five years of age and facilities are also available for admitting mothers with
their infants. During 1935, 62 children were admitted. Of these 62 children, 24
were between the ages of one and five years. Most of these were suffering from
debility or loss of weight, but a few cases were suffering from other minor ailments.
Six years ago an agreement was entered into with the Queen's Hospital for Children
whereby children attending the welfare centres could be sent to the hospital for
examination or for admission. During 1935, 50 children were admitted to the wards,
and the total number of in-patient days in respect of these patients was 1,103. 206
new cases attended as out-patients and 195 cases as casualties.
(e) Minor Ailments.
Most of the work in connection with minor ailments is carried out at the Queen's
Hospital for Children—as was mentioned above. During 1935, in addition to medical
and surgical cases, the "casualties" included 58 ear, nose and throat cases, and 32
children suffering from skin conditions. Children suffering from eye conditions are
usually sent to the Moorfields Eye Hospital. Otorrhoea cases were formerly treated
at a special clinic which was held at the Model Welfare Centre. At the beginning of
December, 1935, this clinic was discontinued, and arrangements were made for the
cases to be visited regularly in their homes by the district nurses. From December,
1935, to the end of September, 1936, 36 individual children were treated: these children
were visited on 720 occasions.
In addition to the cases sent to the above hospitals, a few children are occasionally
sent to the following hospitals: St. Leonard's Hospital, Metropolitan Hospital, The
Hospital for Sick Children (Great Ormond Street), St. Bartholomew's Hospital, and
the London Hospital.
(/) Dental Treatment.
At the Municipal Dental Hospital complete facilities are provided for the treatment
of dental conditions in children between the ages of one and five years, and for
the inspection of their teeth with a view to the prevention of dental caries. During
1935, 222 children between the ages of one and five years attended the Dental Hospital
for examination and 186 of these attended subsequently for treatment. The total
number of attendances of these 222 children was 473, giving an average attendance
per child of 2.13. 563 extractions of individual teeth were performed on these 222
children and 175 fillings were carried out.