Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise., 1938-09-30
CHILD HEALTH
CONFERENCE ON
WHEELS HELD
Tour Started In Cecil County
And Ended In Somerset.
Other Counties Visited

Child -health-conference on wheels
were held in eleven counties, in con-
nection with the summer tour of the
Health Trailer of the Bureau of Child
Hygiene of the State Department of
Health. The Trailer started on its
round on Child Health Day, May and
remained in the field until the end
of August visiting sections of the
State not ordinarily reached by the
child health conferences held regular
ly throughout the year.
Over 180 places were visited and
over 1000 miles travelled. One or
more clinics was held at each place
for the examination of babies and
their older brothers and sisters, not
under medical care, and for confer
ences with the mothers about the
health needs of their children. The
staff of the Trailer included a doctor,
dentist, public health nurse and the
driver of the car, who had charge of
the health movies shown in the even
ings.
The tour started in Cecil county
and ended in Somerset. The other
counties visited included Charles, st.
Mary's, Calvert and Prince Georges
in Southern Maryland; Kent, Queen
Anne's, Caroline, Talbot and Worces-
ter on the Eastern Shore. Arrange
ments in each county were under the
direction of the County Health Of
ficer.
Over 3,400 children, ranging in age
from babies few weeks old to young
sters nearing school age, were brought
to the conferences by their mothers
or others interested. The older chill
dren-over 1000 five and six years
,old-were examined in preparation
for admission to school. Special at
tention was given to the general
health of each child, to indications of
malnutrition, to chest conditions, to
the throat, nose, tonsils, and teeth,
and to evident defects of vision and
hearing. Children in need of correc-
tive care were referred to their own
physicians.
One out of every three of the chill
dren measured up to all of the health
standards. The rest needed attention
of some sort. Approximately one out
of seven were underweight and need
ed building up. Nearly as many had
unfavorable conditions of the nose or
throat and about third of the total
needed dental attention. The trailer
is divided into two compartments, one
for the general physical examination
and the other for the dental. The
child's size dental chair had great
attraction for the youngsters who sub
mitted with the courage of the true
adventurer to eXtractions and treat
ments. Nearly 1900 of the children
had the benefit of corrective dental
care. Filings or other treatments to-
tailed over 700 and more than thous-
and "first" or "baby" teeth We're ex-
tracted from their owners.
About one-third of the children had
not been protected against diphtheria
and vaccination against smallpox had
been neglected for over half of the
children who were getting ready to en-
ter school. Supplemental clinics for
protection against these diseases were
arranged all along the tour for the
benefit of the children for whom this
service was needed. In connection
with these clinics, over 1000 of the
children were immunized against diph
liberia and 670 were vaccinated a.
gainst smallpox.
The travelling conferences supple
mented the child health conferences
held as usual during the summer
months in other parts of the State.
The fall and winter schedule, now in
effect, makes provision for periodical
conferences in every section of the
State.