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PERSONAL HEALTH SERVICES
MATERNAL AND CHILD-CARE
General
Since 1st January, 1968, screening for Phenylketonuria by the
Guthrie Blood Test method has been carried out by our domiciliary
midwives on all babies delivered at home or discharged from hospital
before the sixth day. The laboratory work is carried out by the Group
Laboratories at Queen Mary's Hospital for Children, Carshalton.
During 1969 this service was extended and the two maternity
units in the Borough are now taking blood from all babies delivered
in the units who are still there on the sixth day. Nelson Hospital
commenced on 1st July, 1969, and St. Teresa's Maternity Hospital on
1st October.
Our domiciliary midwives took 652 specimens during the year,
five of which were repeat samples where the first reading had been
slightly raised. All specimens eventually gave negative results.
Child Health Centres
The gradual change in the function of the Child Health Centres
was continued in 1969. The Immunisation programme and the traditional
advice concerning feeding and management retained their importance,
but at the same time the developmental assessment of
children is becoming a vital part of the medical officer's work.
While the great majority of the children are found to be developing
normally modern medical treatment of the newborn is resulting
in the survival of more children with physical or mental defects who
would formerly have succumbed. Regular examinations of all children
are preferably arranged to coincide with the ages at which screening
tests are most suitably performed. The early detection of a defect may
prevent or mitigate the development of a handicap. The present and
future importance of the work of the medical officers in the Centres
rests on their ability to detect deviation from the normal physical,
mental and emotional development of children at the earliest possible
age.
If a defect is discovered or suspected the child and his parents
can be referred for Specialist advice or treatment to the Developmental
Clinic or Hospital. The aim of the service is to give maximum
help to the children who require it. They can then profit by their
educational opportunities from the moment they start school as any
important defects should already have been discovered, and steps
taken to treat them or at least reduce their adverse effects.
Ante-Natal and Post-Natal Services
Six ante-natal sessions are held each week at Clinics in the area,
at which a Departmental Medical Officer and a Health Visitor are in
attendance. At these ante-natal Clinics cases are booked for subsequent
hospital confinement. Post-natal sessions are also held on these
occasions.
In addition five ante-natal sessions are held by midwives for
patients booked for domiciliary confinement.
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