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Toddlers
Clinics
Toddlers Clinics continue to prove popular with the mothers
of young children who find the advice and service they offer
both helpful and stimulating.
These clinics follow on from the Infant Welfare Centres and
their aim is to observe the development of the pre-school child
and diagnose defects at an early stage so treatment can be
fully effective. Examinations are at regular intervals and are
spaced in accordance with the need of the child (or parent). A
doctor performs the examination and he works in close collaboration
with Health Visitors who weigh and measure the children,
test eyesight and urine and supply invaluable 'background' information
about the family to the examining doctor.
Behaviour difficulties in these children are among the
commonest complaints made by parents and here the Clinic
Staff reassure, explain and support the family. Small changes
in personal attitudes can decrease stress in a young child and
at times dramatically improve a difficult parent-child relationship.
Advice on matters like this is never didactic and
results are achieved by suggestion in most cases.
Physical defects, which are usually orthopaedic or opthalmic
are detected at these clinics and as we, along with the
Regional Hospital Board, run consultant clinics in these
specialities, cases can-be referred to them without delay often
encountered at hospital.
I should like to see these clinics increase in number so that
wherever an Infant Welfare Centre is functioning there also is
an active Toddlers Clinic.
In this way the pattern of development can be followed from
birth through infancy, early childhood, through school years and
beyond into the early years of employment. Significant deviation
from physical or mental normality can be detected early and the
child passed on for treatment to his own doctor or hospital
consultant. The community physician of tomorrow will be
largely concerned however with showing the healthy man how
to stay healthy and enjoy his health.
Dental
Treatment
The provision of dental services to expectant and nursing
mothers and to children under the age of 5 is reported on by
Mr. E. V. Haigh, Principal Dental Officer:—
Expectant and nursing mothers and children under five
were able to receive full dental treatment at the Redbridge
Dental Clinics. The demand for treatment by expectant and
nursing mothers continued to decrease. This has been so in