OUR BABIES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 24 March 1928, Page 17

OUR BABIES.

(By Hygeia.)

I’iiblisned under tlie aspices of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children (Blanket Society).

STUTTERING IN CHILDREN. From time to time we are asked to advise about the cause and the treatment of stammering or stuttering in children, and we hope the following remarks may prove helpful to parents faced with the management of this problem. Stuttering is, of course, a manifestiou or "nervousness” In children, and may be described as a “co-ordination neurosis.”

THE MECHANISM OF SPEECH. Good articulate speech is brought iibout by the more or less perfect coordination of three physical mechanisms presided over and directed by three separate centres of the nervous system, each of which has to be drilled to play its part in due time and harmony with the other two. The three mechanisms are as follows: First, the bellows —in other words, the chest, which needs to be alternately inflated and compressed so as to maintain a more or less steady flow of air. Secondly, the larynx, a marvellous .ittle musical pipe in the throat, through which the air from the bellows passes, regulated by the vocal cords. Thirdly, the articulatory and resonating mechanism, of which the main chamber is the mouth, where the muscles of the tongue, jaws, and cheeks play their part. The marvel is that any child can ever learn to co-ordinate these three separate mechanisms properly, seeing that each mechanism is itself complex and needs co-ordination within its own sphere, quite apart from the task of acting in due accord with the other two. Obviously such a wonderful complex of complexes should not be overtaxed or unduly stimulated.

AN ILLUSTRATION OF CO-ORDINA-TION.

A consideration of violin or ’cello playing may he helpful in attempting do realise the difficulties of co-ordina-tion, and how easily they can be upset, fn playing the violin one hand is engaged in drawing the bow across the strings, whilst the other hand has the duty of directing articulation of the sounds, as it were, by means of the ingers playing on the strings. Excitement, over-anxiety, or over-taxing and atigue may cause the) pupil to make rapid spasmodic movements of the ingers on the strings while neglecting to draw the bow, and this may alternate with a frantic drawing of the bow and failure to manipulate the strings. Carry the same idea into the playing of a. wind instrument and you have the common phenomenon’ heard in stutterers, who gasp and produce no sound beyond a mere indraw or meaningless phonation, and perhaps alternate this with spasmodic grimaces.

TEMPERAMENT

Naturally, people with a “nervous” temperament —quick, alert, responsive, and super-sensitive—are more likely to suffer from any form of defective power of control than those whose reactions are slower, and who, on the whole, would be classed as less bright and clever but more stable.

OVER-STIMULATION. ' Some children are ‘‘brought out./’ 1 taught, to recite, sing, and otherwise perform before an audience. Apart from the fact that such practices usually mean loss of precious sleeping time, the consequent over-stimulation of the brain and nervous system is thoroughly bad, and may lead to various nervous manifestations, amongst which are stuttering, twitchings, an noying little tricks, and in extreme instances more or less complete nervous breakdown. Although some children appear to learn and perform without effort, and such are probably less taxed than their slower sisters, who undergo a more definite forcing process, the practice is wrong in either case, and the ultimate result is wholly bad.. Charming as it undoubtedly is to watch a child perform, the sight loses its charm once one realises the damage which may be done to the rapidly growing, delicate little brain and nervous system by such over-strain. Learnt songs too often crush the song within —the natural, beautiful, unconscious urge to sing and shout at play. Curiously enough, constant oversuppression, nagging, or failure to understand a child may bring about somewhat similar nervous, tricks in a highly-strung sensitive child.

TREATMENT. The treatment largely lies, of course, in removal of the cause or causes, and then in re-education of the nervous coordination involved in correct articulation —not easy work on cither line. The most skilled medical advice should be sought and carefully carried out. Generally speaking, parents tend to allow a trouble of this kind to develop insidiously for some time before making any systematic attempt to counteract it, and only consult a doctor when the habit has become thoroughly confirmed This is a great mistake. The earliest signs of any manifestation of nervous ineo-ordination should receive serious attention. Treatment is infinitely easier in the early stages, and the chances of an ultimate cure much greater.