Parents to confer

Press, 8 May 1978, Page 34

Parents to confer

Dame Cicely Pickerill, a Wellington plastic surgeon i who pioneered the idea of allowing mothers to stay in | hospital while their children; are recovering from surgical treatment, will be a speaker at the Federation of New I Zealand Parents’ Centres sil- ! ver anniversary conference I in Christchurch this month.] Dame Cicely was awarded a D.B.E. last June for services to medicine, particu-1 larly in the field of plastic surgery. She specialised fori

i j many years in cases of cleft i j palate, harelip and other con- ■ genital defects, and bums i I among children. With her i; husband, the late Dr H. P. I Pickerill, she founded a private hospital in Lower Hutt Ito facilitate the type of sur- [ gerv they developed together. I The topic of her talk at [ the conference will be “The ; Mother-Child Unit.” I Mr David Lange, member of. Parliament for Mangere, will officially open the week•end conference on May 19 at

the University of Canterbury arts lecture theatre.

The next day’s programme will include a talk by Mrs Nancy Sutherland, a foundation member of the Christchurch centre, on “Rights of the Newborn.” There will be a panel discussion on neglect and child care by a child psychologist, a paediatrician and other experts. The Mayoress (Mrs Judith Hay) will give a progress report on plans for the International Year of the Child, 1979. The future of parents’ centres will be discussed by Dr R. Hunt, medical adviser to the Christchurch centre. Workshops will be held on play groups, adoption and children in separation.

The parents’ centre movement was founded in Wellington in 1952, primarily to educate parents in childbirth and care of newborn babies and to try to bring about changes in maternity services to keep up with new developments in obstetrics. One of the founders was Mrs Helen Brew, producer of the television award-winning documentary, “Birth with R. D. Laing.” Her sister, Mrs Grace Adams, formed the Christchurch centre in 1955. About 160 members are expected to attend the conference from the 30 centres in New Zealand.

Soccer.—S.S.W. Innsbruck has won the Austrian Football Cup for the fourth time, after beating Voeest Linz 2-1 in the final.

Rugby.—The England under 23 team beat the Netherlands, 24-3, at Hilversum in the first match between teams from the two countries, England led, 14-3, at half-time.