OUR BABIES

Grey River Argus, 30 April 1938, Page 9

OUR BABIES

[By Hygeia.] Published under the auspices of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children (Plunket Society). “It is wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to main tain an ambulance at the bottom.” SHOULD CHILDREN HAVE SWEETS? Time and again we are asked this question, and would present tnis article in the hope that parents will have a better understanding why we 'do not advocate the giving of sweets to children- . The condition of “acidosis has been mentioned as a nursery complaint, and as a part of the treatment for this is an increase of pure sugar in the diet thoughtful mothers ask whether it would not he better to he more liberal with the sugar bowl as a preventive measure. We do not propose to go into the cause, prevention, and treatment, of acidosis in this article, but to place before you the reasons why Plunket nurses discourage visits to the sweet shops and the perpetual sucking of sweets which is so commonly seen, to-day- x , The standard before us must always be the normal. We should not expect our children to have any difficulty in the digestion of a normal amount of fat, for instance. If such difficulty should arise then we take special precautions. The great majority of children take a well-balanc-ed diet without difficulty. The question is, then, should normal children have sweets—once a day, once a week or if they have been good- or when they ask for them, or if an adoring aunt, uncle, or grandparent arrives with an offering of chocolates or the latest exciting Easter eggs? As most of us know, the three chief food elements are carbohydrate, fat. and protein. The name of "carbohydrate” is used to cover two big groups - -that of sugars and starches. Most sugars are quickly absorbed into the blood stream, and so an excess of sugar would prove a serious matter if the blood became over-saturated. Starches have to be converted into sugar in the process of digestion. This sugar then reaches the blood stream more slowly and in lesser quantities in proportion to the satisfaction of the appetite. Let us take breast milk as a standard for judging. We find that a child needs four or five times as much sugar or starch as he does of protein, and almost twice as much as he does of fat. How docs the toddler .get this? How much of the protein 'goods (eggs, fish, and milk' does he .get in proportion to the starchy goods (such as twice-baked bread, cereals, potatoes, and other vegetables)? Don’t forget that every form of starch turns to sugar in the body.

i The digestive juices necessary for | the conversion of starches are not developed in the young baby, so he cannot be expected to deal with such ■ foods. But from the time these juices 1 are ready, we steadily decrease the ration of. soluble sugar and increase that of the starch—cereal jellies and crusts. When we do give sugar it is best given in the form of fresh or dried fruits -and honey, but these are not .given to the normal baby till the end of his first year. Having considered these points, what should be nur attitude towards the giving of sweets?

The nursery ideal would be “no sweets allowed,” but in many instances a compromise is inevitable. An occasional sweet given at mealtimes may be better than making the children self-conscious and rebellious. But if children arc not. accustomed Io seeing sweets about they will not think of them, especially if their ration of fruit be a liberal one. When sweets are given the plain boiled variety, such as barley sugar, made by a reliable firm, is best. Above all do not give sweets in between meals, at bedtime, or as a form of bribe or reward, taking the place of true discipline. The child who continually teases for sweets is developing the habit of self-indulgence and laying the foundation of building a poor character. Those parents who give their children chocolate because “it is nourishing” are confessing that their manner of dieting their family is at fault. The average child should get all he needs for building good bone, muscles, and tissues from a plain mixed menu. Concentrated extras will defeat their own end by making the child faddy and spoiling his appetite and palate for plainer and bQalth-"iving foods. At this stage may we condemn whole-heartedly the practice of sprinkling sugar over the food to be eaten. Cereals and such foods need no added sugar. Fruits should be cooked with enough sugar to be made palatable, and if . the child has not been made familiar with the habit of transferring sornp of the contents of the sugar bowl to his food, he will not have his appetite perverted. Indeed, it would be better if the sugar howl did not make its anpearance on the meal table at all. Plenty of good sugars are available in such foods as raisins, dates, fruits and honey.

In conclusion, let nt parents imagine that' the normal child is going to miss anything for his ultimate good If he never has a sweet in his life, and remember that nothing is so bad for the teeth as the continued sucking of sweets.