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Another group of the handicapped is the mother suffering from sensory
defects, blindness deafness or both. The number referred to include only
those deaf persons with a severe degree of hearing loss.
From the point of view of the Local Health Authority, the surest way of
tackling these problems is by prevention, and many are preventible. Tuberculosis,
both pulmonary and of joints may be expected to be stamped out in
our lifetime. Because of the improved health of school children, otitis
media causing deafness is already becoming less common.
Much mental disorder, too, is preventible and here again the school
health service is doing valuable work for it is in childhood that such disorders
are best dealt with.
Other methods by which the Local Authority can help these mothers are,
for example, by placing the child in need in a day nursery, or nursery school
or class. The Local Health Authority can also supply a Home Help and, in
fact, some of these women are being assisted in this way. More must be done
to meet the rehabilitation needs of the rheumatic and other chronic orthopaedic
defects.
Child Vfelfare Sessions
These sessions have been well attended, though there is a slight falling
off in numbers.
Many of the hospitals with maternity departments ask the mothers to bring
back the babies for a routine check up once a month, and in such cases it is
only when the baby is six months or perhaps a year old that the mother comes
to the clinic. Some will attend their own general medical practitioner for
advice as required.
It would appear that the reduction in numbers will continue, especially
where the general practitioners hold a clinic in their own surgeries for their
patients.
The reason for the Local Authority child welfare clinic in the past, was
to give help to mothers of young children who could not afford the fees of a
private doctor. Now this barrier has been removed by the National Health
Service, there is no reason why general practitioners should not carry out
this function of health education from their own surgeries.
The following table shows details of attendances made at the infant
welfare clinics during the year:-