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58
been explained above, lay themselves out for the maintenance in
health of the healthy child. Minor ailments requiring observation
and treatment (in infants attending the Centres) are referred to
these Morning Sessions; and also young infants whose cases require
investigation by means of "test feeds," the value and
importance of which were described in some detail in last year's
Report of the Infant Welfare Centres.
The special Morning Clinics have provided a means whereby
the requirements of a Memorandum of the Ministry of Health,
issued in August, 1926, to all Local Authorities, in reference to
the Notification and Treatment of Ophthalmia Neonatorum (i.e.,
inflammation of the eyes of new-born infants), can be conveniently
carried into effect. The Memorandum states that, "The arrangements
made by the Maternity and Child Welfare Authorities
should provide for the supervision of all cases in which inflammation
of, or discharge from, the eyes is reported, and of all
notified cases of Ophthalmia Neonatorum."
All infants reported to be suffering from discharge from the
eyes are at once visited by the Health Visitors. Should they not
be under the care of family practitioners, or attending a suitable
hospital, arrangements are made for their being brought for treatment
at the Special Morning Clinics. Severe cases, and cases that
do not yield satisfactorily to treatment, are referred to the School
Ophthalmic Surgeon.
Morning Clinics were held during 1927 :—
At White House, Plashet Grove, on
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, from
9 to 10.30 a.m.
(Note.—Under circumstances described in a previous paragraph,
it became necessary in January, 1928, to open an additional
ordinary Infant Welfare Clinic at the White House on Thursday
mornings, so the Special Morning Clinic on that day had to be
discontinued.)
The statistics for 1927 are as follows :—
Number of cases seen at Morning Clinics 2,077
Number of Medical Consultations 1,596
The corresponding figures for the previous year were:—Cases
seen, 1,813; Medical Consultations, 1,194; so that there is a substantial
increase in the work being done at these Special and very
practically important Clinics.