PEDIATRICS Vol. 8 No. 6 December 1951, pp. 851-858
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PUBLIC HEALTH, NURSING AND MEDICAL SOCIAL WORK

HEALTH SERVICES FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN

Editors: MYRON E. WEGMAN, M.D..

Health services for school children must be planned on an understanding of the major factors—growth and development, the stress of group living, the educational opportunities which are inherent in the school situation, and the availability of the school as a community unit.

There must be recognition that parents have the prime responsibility for the health of their children.

The team of teacher, nurse, physician, dentist and other health workers should work in a program designed to encourage greater health among all school children, to find those children in need of special care, and to secure continuing follow-up until these objectives have been accomplished.

To this end the program should rely on a planned, unhurried physical examination at the time of school entrance, with training of teachers and nurses to select children for further attention by careful preliminary screening instead of cursory annual medical inspections. Additional periodic examinations, while desirable, should be planned only if there is adequate additional physician time after the other objectives have been accomplished.

There should be the fullest possible participation of the child's own family physician.

By following these principles maximum advantage will be taken of the organized care which can be given to the entire population during this age period.