Preventive health care of Indian preschoolers in the Sioux Lookout Zone, northwestern Ontario
Plaxton, K.; Shah, C.P.; Young, T.K.; Bain, H.W.
Canadian Medical Association Journal 129(9): 965-968
1983
ISSN/ISBN: 0008-4409 PMID: 6671184 Document Number: 214163
The provision of preventive health care to native children in the Sioux Lookout Zone of northwestern Ontario, Canada, was assessed by reviewing the medical charts of 568 randomly selected preschool children in 1980. Information was collected on the method of infant feeding; immunization status, vaccination and testing for tuberculosis; development, vision and hearing screening; monitoring of growth; and nutritional state and vitamin supplement use. Most of the children had been breast fed and had received primary diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus-polio immunization and measles-mumps-rubella and bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccination. Less than 30% had undergone developmental screening and only 10% and 8%, respectively, had had their vision and hearing screened. Growth monitoring was adequate in the first year of life but not thereafter. Only about 55% of the children had ever had their Hb value estimated. More emphasis on health promotion is needed if native children are to receive adequate preventive health care.