Abstract
M.Cur. (General Nursing)
Child development is a subject that is increasingly becoming
the focus of discussion. The interest in this subject, however
dates back to the twenties when Arnold Gesell started
researching this field. Over the years scales were developed
to make the measurement of the level of child development easier.
The community health nurse should have a thorough knowledge
of the use of child development scales. This will enable
her to identify, diagnose and refer possible cases of retarded
development found at healthy baby and toddler clinics.
During this investigation the use of the child development
scales by community health nurses, within the municipal
boundries of Johannesburg, is evaluated.
It was found that a lack of time during normal clinic hours,
elaborate record-keeping systems, differences in community
priorities, the training of community health nurses in the
use of these scales, as well as the ignorance on parents regarding
child development, influence the way in which the child
development scales are used for community health purposes.