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PERSONAL HEALTH SERVICES
MATERNAL AND CHILD-CARE
General
Screening for phenylketonuria by the Guthrie Blood Test method
is 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.
The two maternity units in the Borough take blood specimens
from all babies present in the unit on the sixth day.
Our domiciliary midwives took 626 specimens during the year,
21 of which were repeat samples where the first reading showed a
slightly raised phenylalanine level. All specimens eventually gave
negative results.
Observation and Handicap Register
Towards the end of 1970, a revision of the Observation and
Handicap Register was begun. The purpose of this Register is to bring
to the particular notice of the Clinic Medical Officers those children
who have had some adverse factors early in their lives, or even before
birth (such as a history of the mother having German Measles in
pregnancy). These children are more likely than others to be found
to have a defect in early life.
If any defects are found which even after treatment are likely to
interfere with the normal growth and development of the children
concerned (such as deafness), their names are put into the Handicap
Section of the Register. Their names are to be kept in this Section
throughout school life unless, as in some cases, their defects come to
be no longer regarded as handicaps in view of improvement produced
by treatment and training. It is hoped that, when complete, this will
result in accurate information being available concerning the numbers
of young handicapped people in the Borough, and their different age
groups and categories. This information should also be of assistance
to the Education, Social Services and other Departments, such as
Housing, which are concerned with all aspects of the planning of
future provision for the handicapped.
Child Health Centres
During 1970 there was an increase in the developmental assessment
aspect of the examination of children in the 0-5 age group.
These assessments increase the time which the medical officers need to
spend on each child. The more detailed examinations are coming to
be appreciated by the mothers, when their purpose is explained.
Regular examinations of these 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.
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