PEDIATRICS Vol. 9 No. 2 February 1952, pp. 252-258
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PUBLIC HEALTH, NURSING AND MEDICAL SOCIAL WORK

HEALTH SERVICES FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN— PRIORITIES AND PROGRAM

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

IN DECEMBER 1951 a general discussion of the significance of organized health services for school children was presented in this column, using certain specific health problems for illustration. Two recent reports, "Priorities in Health Services for Children of School Age" and "Report on the First Session of the Expert Committee on School Health Services, World Health Organization," were cited at that time. Both of these have material of considerable interest to practicing pediatricians and child health workers.

The "Priorities" statement, published by a joint committee of the Children's Bureau, Public Health Service and Office of Education, presents the results of the deliberations of a group of consultants who met in Washington in the summer of 1949. The group included physicians, nurses, teachers and health educators. They addressed themelves particularly to the matter of assessing the factors which would determine what services should take precedence as a program gets under way, or when limited funds and facilities are available.

At the very beginning this report points out that the phrase in the title—Health Services for Children of School Age—was chosen to emphasize the fact that such services stem from the community as a whole. Furthermore, "Parents have primary responsibility for the health of their children. Health service programs should be designed to assist parents in discharging this responsibility but not to assume it for them.