PLUNKET UP WITH TIMES

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 19, 1 October 1985, Page 4

PLUNKET UP WITH TIMES

The Plunket Society I has been working to pre- I vent health problems in I children since 1907.

Gone are the days when I 'Plunket' was considered to fl be a thing for babies of mid- I dle and upper class women I As 1984 figures for the I Waimarino point out, nearly I all parents utilise the I Plunket service. Of the 88 babies born in I the region, 82 were seen by I the Plunket nurse in the first I year of their life. The nurse covered 1 1 ,062 I kilometres, making 644 1 home visits, seeing 460 1

babies and 245 toddlersatl the Ohakune and Raetihi 1 clinics. The prevention of sicH ness begins with ante-natiH talks on child care includin® clothing, feeding habits.1 sleeping problems. Complications are pre- 1 vented by the Plunket nurse I with referrals to the doctorl or communication with the I mother, which in turn could I see the Karitane nurse being used to assist where necessary. Safety has become a major issue for the Plunket Society with one of its big successes being the implementation of the car seat hire scheme. The 'Let's Play it Safe' campaign held this year, proved very successful with thousands of parents becoming more aware of the iraportance of safety in their children's life.