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51
The conditions referred for treatment from the Infant Welfare
Clinics have been Rickets, Enuresis, Malnutrition, and General
Debility.
The Ultra-Violet Rays improve nutrition and vitality, promote
the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, and increase
resistance to infection. Most important is their value in Rickets,
in which, especially if treated early, signs and symptoms rapidly
improve under the action of Artificial Sunlight. In the process
of treatment, reddening and dark colouration of the skin are produced,
just as in prolonged exposure to the sun itself.
In East Ham our experience is that in the majority of cases
treated the mothers are satisfied that their children have appeared
brighter and more vigorous, sleep better, and are more contented
and happy.
Artificial Sunlight is not to be regarded as replacing the oldestablished
methods of treatment, surgical, tonic, etc., but as a
valuable aid to the effect of these.
Abundance of fresh air, general sanitation, and good food
retain their former values, even where Artificial Sunlight is available.
The Senior Health Visitor is in charge of the actual treatment
and is assisted by one other Health Visitor at each Clinic.
The Medical Officer in charge of Infant Welfare visits
the Light Clinic periodically for purposes of general control and
guidance of dosage, and sees the infants systematically at the
ordinary Infant Welfare Clinics held in the Borough.
The statistics of 1929 were as follows:—
Number of Light Sessions held 43
Number of attendances at these
Sessions 1,101
Number of individual children treated 161
Morning Clinics.
Special Clinics are held twice a week to deal with cases that
cannot be satisfactorily dealt with at the ordinary Clinics.
Minor ailments requiring observation and treatment are referred
to these morning sessions, also cases of difficult feeding,
and children who have been referred to the Medical Officer by the
Health Visitors from their district visits.