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26
OTORRHOEA CASES
The number of cases visited by the Shoreditch District Nursing Associations
under arrangement with the Council was 18, and the total visits 193.
NURSING IN THE HOME
The District Nursing Association undertakes the nursing of children under 5 years
and of parturient women referred to them by medical practitioners and by the
Maternity and Child Welfare department. The number of cases visited was 68,
and the total visits paid 427.
PREMATURE INFANTS
At the end of 1947 the scheme for the care of premature infants had been in
operation for three-and-half years, and it is therefore possible to consider the experience
gained during that period.
It was decided by the Council that a (specially trained) health visitor, experienced
in the care of the premature infant, should be responsible for the care of the
premature infants, the Assistant Medical Officer of Health, Dr. McGregor, being in
charge of the administrative arrangements. The choice of a health visitor rather than
a midwife was made in order to achieve continuity in the feeding and care of the child
for some time after the confinement.
Sound knowledge and judgment are required in this work which necessitates
constant co-operation with hospitals and midwives ; the confidence of the mothers
and fathers must also be gained if the best results are to be achieved.
In an area where homes are frequently overcrowded and lack many necessities,
the equipment (which has been lent in 95 cases since its inception) has probably been
the means of saving the lives of many infants—as instanced during the cold spell
in 1947 when a premature baby was returned to its home by an institution without
any notice being sent to this department, and was found by the health visitor in a
box in the corner of a room which had no furniture and no fire. A letter is now sent
to all institutions where a premature infant is born, requesting information some days
before the infant is due to come home so that the necessary arrangements for its care
can be made.
Skilled medical and nursing care of the infant in its own home prevent many
babies being removed to institutions, but in all cases the decision to remove the child
is only made after it has been seen by the Assistant Medical Officer of Health, or
if necessary by the paediatrician. The latter can be called in whenever a consultant's
opinion is required. If it is considered possible the child is nursed at home. The
health visitor makes frequent visits, helps the mother to establish breast feeding
where necessary or to supervise artificial feeding if inevitable. When the infant is
breast-fed all is usually well, though it is unfortunate that no breast milk bank is yet
available; breast milk is, however, obtained from individual tested mothers and is
used after boiling for certain infants.