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45
It is too early to give figures, but already a considerable
number of young children are benefiting by the opening of this
Ophthalmic Clinic; and the sympathy of Mr. Gimblett, the School
Ophthalmic Surgeon, with the work amongst the infants submitted
to his care from the Infant Welfare Clinics, is doing much
to promote a friendly relationship between the two Departments.
The Work of the Health Visitors in the Homes of the Borough.
As the name "Visitor" implies, visiting in the homes of
young infants and children under school age was the original idea
underlying the creation of the office of Health Visitor, and remains
the most important part of the work of these officials.
Infants come very early under the notice of the Medical Officer
of Health in any district, under the provisions of the Notification
of Births Acts, 1907 and 1915. If a child is born in East Ham
the fact is reported at the Town Hall within 36 hours. The
information is passed on to the Medical Officer of the Infant Welfare
Department, and by her is transmitted to the Health Visitor
of the district in which the event has occurred. As soon after the
fourteenth day as possible the home is visited by the Health Visitor,
and she does what she can to help the mother in the many difficulties
that arise in connection with the hygiene and feeding of
the infant and the other young children in the home. Especially
in the case of young mothers tending their first babies, this is
festly a very important public provision.
The visits of the Health Visitors are spread over the cases on
their lists as evenly as possible; but necessarily a very wide discretion
must be left to them in respect of this. A larger number
of visits must be made to the premature or delicate infant than to
the healthy, and to the poor home than to the home where a private
doctor and a trained nurse are already in attendance.
Such are the routine and ordinary visits made by the Health
Visitors. The visits are repeated as frequently as may be necessary
and possible during the first year, less frequently in the
second year, and then should go on occasionally in the other years
till school life is to begin. Only, our staff in East Ham is so small
that the years two to five can have but the scantiest attention.