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No one has done more than the school nurse (who is often alss the family health
visitor) to combat this social evil, and interested school teachers have rendered
invaluable help. It is a thankless task, but any relaxation of vigilance would gradually
give rise to the former bad state of affairs. It must be difficult to keep children
clean in overcrowded, sub-standard houses, and much credit is due to the mothers, in that
the majority of children living under these conditions are clean.
FOLLOW-UP BY NURSING STAFF
This continues to be an important function of the School Health Service, and is
carried out by the school nurses and health visitors. The School Health Service frequently
requires the nurse to visit the children's homes to obtain reports of various kinds and
this is welcomed as an excellent opportunity of getting to know really intimately the
families for whose welfare they are concerned. Much valuable social work is carried out
by the nurses in giving help and guidance in a variety of ways to families needing it.
During the year the school nurses paid 1,580 home visits. This number includes 1,100
visits in connection with the Medical Research Council's controlled B.C.G. trial on school
leavers mentioned on page 105.
RESEARCH AND INVESTIGATION
This year only a brief statement will be made under this heading. A joint committee
of the Institute of Child Health (University of London), the Society of Medical Officers of
Health, and the Population Investigation Committee of the London School of Economics have
been following the health, growth and development of 6,000 children born in the first week
of March, 1946. These are drawn from all social classes and from all parts of England and
Wales. Certain findings were included in the report of 1955. It is hoped to keep the
children in the survey until the end of the Primary school period. The joint committee
have stated "such an opportunity to study growth is unique, and we are confident that the
importance of the results for child health will justify the amount of work involved in
carrying out the surveys" and have recorded their gratitude to the health visitors and
school nurses for the work they have done.
In connection with this survey the following examinations were carried out in 1957:-
Medical officers examined 21 children. Permission to examine one
other child was refused by the parents.
The school nurses submitted reports on 22 children. Of 5 control
cases only 2 were interviewed, the other 3 having moved out of
this area.
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