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44
There is little doubt that if very young children are brought to
the dental clinic at an early age, they are likely to be much
happier about dental inspection and treatment during their school
life and afterwards.
The statistical details of patients inspected and treated during
the year are given on page 59 of this report.
Children "At Risk"'
The Chief Medical Officer to the Ministry of Health in his Reports
for 1959 and 1960 drew attention to the importance of ensuring that
a child's deviation from normal should be recognised as early as
possible and the nature of his handicap fully assessed in order that
the necessary specialised treatment can be given, together with
advice in the day to day management of the child as well as
counselling the possibly distressed and bewildered parents.
Subsequently the Minister of Health recommended local health
authorities to set up registers of young children who are considered
to be at risk of handicapping conditions arising from adverse
circumstances in their parental, perinatal or postnatal life, or who
have unfavourable family histories or whose developmental progress is
in some way retarded or abnormal.
It is a comparatively simple matter to compile and maintain an
"At Risk register but exceedingly difficult to cope successfully
with the problems of thorough investigation and assessment of each
child on the register. A considerable knowledge of normal as well
as handicapped children is necessary and careful investigation is
required of the child's level of functioning in locomotion,
manipulation, vision, hearing, speech, general understanding and
social behaviour. Work of this nature can only be undertaken by a
trained and experienced medical officer able to devote time not
only to the detailed work of assessment but able to follow up cases
and keep in personal touch with parents, consultants, family doctors
and other personnel concerned with the child s progress and
development.
At the present time insufficient medical staff are available to
deal effectively with this aspect of the scheme and the problem can
only be solved by increasing the medical man power of the Department.
Section 23 MIDWIFERY
During the year one full time midwife was appointed, bringing the
total employed to 7 whole-time Midwives and 3 District Nurse/Midwives
not including supervisory staff. In view of the continuing National
shortage of practising midwives the local situation may be regarded
as satisfactory, although some of the staff are near retiring age.