OUR BABIES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 211, 25 May 1918, Page 5

OUR BABIES

fBY HI'GEIA.I

Published under the auspices of tho Hoya! Jfsiv Zen?and Society for the Health of Women nnd Children. "It is wiser to put ill' a lennu at the top of ft precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom." LETTERS OK A GRANUMOTHEK. I- (Continued.) "September 24. 1508. "I am pleased to tell you that little Annie is still keeping well and Rettinc on satisfactorily. You ivoud hardly know her for the same child you saw in Bunpiliii. She is never still lons tOßplhcr; she plays and romps about, find pines and (iK-nces, She lives regularly, rocs to bed at the appointed lime, risiiiß and taking her meals at appointed hours. She sleeps well, and will now take iinytluiiK that is going, and enjoys her food. Hhi; likes her bath, and, if the weather is rik-;i that she cannot go for a run directly nrter, Lizzie rompß about with her until she gets warm. She is wnrmly but lightly <m,k(, her under garments being of silk and wool. She went with bare feet until liny, when I spoke to you about that, nnd yo,, «:id she could wear warm socks and cood boots during the coldest weather, dhe is now living in C —D. Khe can walk down town' past the station and back without complaining of being tired (poor we miter when she first came down she could not walk at all); she trots and jumpH nearly all the way. I often wonder she is not tired out. She is now three years and Iliroe months old. We had her weighed yesterday, nnd her weight was 34}lb. I aui very much pleased lo hear i>t the success of the Itaby Home in Dunedin, and trust the society will long continue the food work." "December 21, 1908. "I thought I would tend a line to let you know how little Annie is Retting on. She is keeping in splendid health, and still gaining in weight. She takes her coicl bath, and <iuile enjoys it. She will now take any food that is placed before her, and is scarcely ever still. Some't.mee I. think she. is 100 active, but she is in splendid health." i "February 7, 1%9. "I am sure that you will be pleased to near that little Annie is keeping.splendid. She still hue her cold bath and. run round after it." "July 11, 19M. 'Little Annie is still in splendid health. We had her weighed on Friday last, and her. weight is 39£1b." "Xovember 5, 1909. "I am writing a line to tell you how well liitle Annie ia keeping. She is simply in splendid heath. She takes her cold bath, and it seems almost incredible that she can be the same child you did so much for two years ago. I trust the society ma.y long continue the good work among the little , ones." "January 7, 1910. Annie is still in splendid health." Hay 1, 1910. il am sure you will be pleased to hear that little Annie is still in splendid health; ohe will be five years old this month. I was telling my son I thought it would be advisable not to send her to Bchool until she is seven. If not troubling you too mush, I should like your opinion on the matter. , I should have written before to let yon Itnow how the little thiv.i; is getting on, but have been ill myself."

Early Schooling Harmful. In. reply to the above, the grandmother wns advised to have the littlu girl iiept away lroin school until she was seven years of age. I'hooe who doubt the soundness of this advice may be conviiicod by the following extract from a masterly article by T. C. iiorslall on "Health and rdueatlon," which appeared in the "Contemporary Bevioiv" tor-March, 19C4:-

"I now come to the power of the euhool to,cause bad health, or to prevent good health; and again 1 must use German ' statistics. The German child normally beg.ns to go to school ■-when it has completed its sixth year. In nearly nil German towns, the elementary schools are now under the charge of school doctors, one of whose duties it is to examine every child before it begins to go to school. If a child of six is ■in such a condition of health that (he doctor believes thai it will suffer from .beginning school life, he defere its entry into a school for n, year. I'he number of children- who are Ihus caused to begin uchool life only on the completion of (heir sevonlh year is considerable. In eoine ulaces as many as 10 per cent, or the children nre thus Ireatcd. I here ar,o, therefore, a good many delicate children who spend I heir seventh year at home, and a much larger number of more robust children who spend their seventh year in cchool. Dr. SchmidJtonard found that going to school almost, stopped the increase of weight in girls for a year, and much diminished their increase in height, and that the moro ■robust, boys in Halle who spent their eovonth ynar in school , on an average increased 21 per cent, lese in -weight nnd « per cent, less in height than the more delicate boys who nnssed their seventh year at home." ' "September 26, ;910. . I. 'vas, please to. receive the letter cf September' 18, and thank the socieiy for the kind interest taken in little Annie's welfare. Jam glad to tell you the is in splendid health. \\' o hod'her weighed thi3 morning, and she weighs 3st.. and her height in 3tt. 9in. She has hnvd, plain food—not too much meat—boiled eges, and plenty of new milk to drink. Sho has no pieces between menlβ; her teeth are sound and white, and she masticates her food well. Three months <igo sho to suck her thumb. We thought her doing so prevented her enjoying her food ns she otherwise would have dene. Her father promised her a I icycle if lOie loft it off, which she did in a few days. She got her bicycle, and enjoys her food better ngnin now she has given up sucking her thumb." In rosnonse to a telegram of inouiry Ihe following message was received from the grandmother :— "February 7, 1911. ."Your wire just to hand. 1 should n.-.vo written beforo, but have been \t d u» with pleurisy and bronchitis, and am onlv .iußt getting better. I am pleased to tell you little Annie is in splendid health. She still takes her cold bath every morning, and get* plenty of fresh air mid exercise—in fn;t, she could not be bitltr. They are awny nt the Bhiff just imw. I expect, them back next Monday when v:e, will have her weirrhed, nnd I w.'ll let you know vhat her' weight is n^vr, "P.B.—Annie will be :!.v yjare eld in May. I have advised them nt io send her to school until she' is fven." ' "February 14, 1911. "Little Annie returned homo on Monday. Rim is in splendid health, and welgns 3st. lib." Three stone one pound is Ihe average weight for a girl of six years. Annie will be six some months heni'i'l