ABSTRACT
With the introduction and growth of the Welfare State the role of the health visitor continued to expand and the mental and social aspects of health began to be reflected in their training. Some health visitors work on a geographical basis and they accordingly would receive all the birth notifications for a particular group of roads and streets. Thus the health visitor will be notified, very shortly after the birth, of any new babies within her area of responsibility, whether they were born at home or in hospital. The main aims of the first visit for the health visitor will be to gain assurance about the physical, emotional and social well-being of the mother and baby, including the establishment of adequate feeding and sleeping patterns. The population screening for visual impairment by health visitors appears to be much less well developed than hearing screening.
