the community not only has an opportunity to make available to chil-
dren the fact that they need, but also to help prepare them for living as
good citizens in a democracy.
One of the aspects of child life to which careful attention must be
given is health. It is certainly not too much to expect for our children,
that they should receive prompt and appropriate treatment when they
are ill and that all possible steps should be taken to prevent hazards to
mental and physical health. It is in this field of service to children that
public and private services must and do work closely together. As a
result of this cooperation and significant support by citizens of the State,
considerable progress has been made in the last ten years, not only in
local communities, but in statewide services. A few of these significant
statewide progressive steps are listed here: 1. The number of qualified
obstetricians and pediatricians throughout the State has increased con-
siderably and the geographical distribution has improved. 2. The open-
ing of two comprehensive diagnostic—evaluation clinics for children
with multiple handicaps—at Johns Hopkins and University of Mary-
land pediatric departments. 3. The development of a statewide epilepsy
control program which has been most effective and which has attracted
nationwide attention. 4. Broadening of the functions at both Chil-
dren's Hospital and Kernan's and strengthening of their affiliations
with the respective medical school centers. Special mention should be
made of dental services to the handicapped child at the former hospital.
5. Completion of plans for a new children's medical center at Johns
Hopkins. 6. Establishment of an integrated cleft palate clinic at Johns
Hopkins Hospital affiliated with the University of Maryland Dental
School. 7. Establishment of two special prosthetic clinics for upper and
lower extremity artificial limbs, utilizing modern rehabilitative tech-
niques—one located at Kernan's, the other at the Hopkins Hospital. 8.
Development of rehabilitation services at the State's three chronic dis-
ease hospitals, especially at Montebello Hospital. Although these hos-
pitals are primarily set up for adults, the new rehabilitation services
have been particularly helpful for adolescent boys and girls with quad-
riplegia and paraplegia—e. g. spinal injuries following diving or auto-
mobile accidents. 9. The application of the new polio vaccine on a
broad scale so that recent surveys show that 80% or more (except in a
few neighborhoods among specific age groups) of individuals from
birth to 20 years, have received three or more injections. 10. The med-
ical adolescent clinic which was started in January 1958 at University
Hospital for the purpose of providing clinic services for children 12 to
17 years of age and for serving as a clinical experience for House officers.
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