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Congenital Abnormalities
It is a responsibility of the Medical Officer of Health to submit a confidential report to the
Registrar General on congenital abnormalities detected at or shortly after birth. The

The Observation and Handicap Register
There is a growing awareness of the importance of discovering handicapped children as early
as possible. Many children acquire their handicapping conditions in the pre-natal, neo-natal
or early post-natal periods of life. Infants who have been exposed to unfavourable hereditary
or adverse experiences early in life are considered to be at risk and a register is kept of these
cases so that they can be offered medical examination at regular intervals.
In addition, the growing child may be placed at risk by accident or illness occurring during
childhood.
In order to ensure that each handicapped child is assisted to the extent necessary to make full
use of his ability, a register known as the Observation and Handicap Register is compiled.
Children whose names appear on this register are kept under special surveillance until they are
aged 5 years by regular medical examination and full assessment of their developmental progress.
Close co-ordination of the work of various agencies who are concerned with the well-being of a
handicapped child is essential and this involves close contact with the general practitioners,
hospitals, social workers and voluntary organisations.
The Observation and Handicap Register provides the means by which this is achieved and when
necessary ensures the future provision of educational facilities suited to the child's ability and
handicap.
The early years of the child's life are a vitally important period in his development. The young child
with a disability which may interfere with normal learning processes needs early help to
minimise or overcome the handicap before the child's optimal learning period has passed.
The development of such Children is particularly vulnerable because of restrictions which may
be imposed by the disabilities on the range and quality of the child's experience and by
unfavourable or unenlightened attitudes of parents.
During 1972, 84 (109) pre-school children had special medical examinations and full
assessment by the Principal Medical Officer. The following recommendations were made
in respect of 27 children :-
Attendance at: Nursery School 14
Day Nursery 3
Sherwood Park School 1
Short Term Care 2
Physiotherapy 5
Speech Therapy 5
Audiology Clinic 4
Special Schools 3
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