OUR BABIES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 16 November 1929, Page 17

OUR BABIES.

(By Hygela.) .Published under the auspices of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children (Plunket Society).

“DIET AND THE TEETH.” It las been said by competent critics in .recent years that the .teeth of the children in New Zealand are amongst the worst in the world. The cause is to be found, in the dietetic habits of the people. New Zealand mothers are not to imagine from the statement just made that the dietetic habits of the children are alone to blame. The question comes much nearer home than teat. The feeding habits and diet of the mothers of New Zealand are also involved, a fact which can easily be shown. A moment's thought will convince any mother that the child depends on the mother for all its nourishment for nine months before its birth. Nature begins to build the child’s teeth as long as seven mouths before birth, and that statement applies to the second or permanent teeth ' as well as the first teeth. When the baby is born the crowns of the first teeth are already formed beneath the gums. If these things are so, it will be readily understood that the materials used by Nature in forming the teeph can. only be found in the food of the mother for seven months before birth. If the diet of the expectant mother is lading in the essentials for the formation of sound teeth—namely, calcium, phosphorus and the neecssary vitamin D—then the structure of the teeth of the child 1 , which has been built up before birth, will be imperfect. The crowns of the Erst teeth, being formed before birth, are therefore entirely dependent for the material out of which they axe built on the mother's diet, and any deficiency in the food will involve the teeth of the child. After’ birth the same state of affairs continues. For another nine months the breast-fed baby draws the material for teeth building from the mother’s milk, and therefore depends on the mother’s diet. The first teeth have to be completed and pushed up through the gums, and at the same time the development of the permanent teeth is taking place, so that ‘they may be in readiness when the time comes to take their-place when the first teeth ar.e discarded. The diet of the expectant and nursing mother is of supreme importance in any consideration of the teeth of 'the child. Her food should contain a sufficient amount of unrefined grains (such as whole meal bread) and green vegetables, fruit, etc., to provide the necessary calcium and phosphorus, and also an ‘adequate amount of milk, butter, eggs, etc., to provide the necessary vitamin' D. (Milk also contains a large amount of calcium. If the expectant mother finds it difficult, on the ground of expense, to procure a sufficient quantity of the right kinds of food, she should take a small quantity (say, a teaspoonful of) cod liver oil twice a day. This will provide the necessary vitamin. In addition, she should have as much exposure to sunlight as she can by being out of doors as long ais possible every day. The effect of sunlight on the skin is to produce Vitamin D in the body as well as to stimulate the system generally. Tie point to bear in mind in relation to the teeth is necessary action of the vitamins in the formation of sound teeth in the growing child. The question of the diet of the child in relation to the teeth is of equal importance. All that has been said about the need for adequate supplies of vitamins, calcium and .phosphorus still holds good, but in addition there are several very important points to be considered. First, Nature provides teeth for use, and the natural use of teeth is for chewing. Any organ which is not folly used does not develop properly and tends to atrophy and decay. The modern use of soft, “pap” foods does not call the teeth into use at all. The result of this lack of use 'is an insufficient supply of blood to the gums and teeth of the growing child. The jaws are not fully developed, and this again results in “crowding” of the teeth. In a well-developed jaw with wellspaced teeth there is a natural cleansing action of the tongue and lips, which removes food particles from between the teeth afteT a meal. If the teeth 1 are “crowded” this natural cleansing action is difficult or impossible, and food particles remain in contact with the teeth, especially food of a starchy or sugary nature. Organisms are always present in the mouth, and they attack these food particles and set up an acid fermentation. The acid produced in turn acts on the enamel of the

teeth and 1 soon eats into it, and so decay of the teeth is produced. The remedy is prevention by means of proper dietetic habits.' The child should be taught early to use its jaws, first by chewing on a bone (such 'as a chicken bone), and, once the teeth begin to appear, by chewing crusts, crisp toast 'or o ven-bake a bread. These are best given at the beginning of each meal while he is still hungry. _ The child should also be taught ito finish off each meal with some acid fruit, such as raw apple. This has a .natural cleansing action on the teeth, removing food particles liable to cause fermentation. In addition, the food should contain, in sufficient quantities, unrefined cereals (such ais whole meal bread), green vegetables and fruit. Green vegetables are best eaten raw, and those requiring cooking should not be boiled in an excess of water. The peeling of such a vegetable as potatoes should not be 1 overdone. Potatoes are, iu fact, best boiled in itheir jackets. These foods contain vitamins and also calcium salts necessary in. the formation of teeth. The habit of giving sweets, cakes, pastry, etc., to children, especially between meals, cannot be too strongly condemned. It tends to produce a perverted taste in the matter of food, the child preferring these things to the food which .he ought to have. It also encourages the acid fermentation round the teeth, which we have spoken of, and also leads to 'dental decay.

Regarding the -development -of a child’s jaws, we would like to add a word with reference to -artificially fed children. A -busy mother or a lazy mother may be tempted to leave the child -lying in the -cot at feeding time wilt'h the bottle beside him. This is a practice which is utterly wrong. The amount of suction which the baby must exercise to- get .his food is in such cases excessive, and the constant pressure of the tongue forces the -growing bones of the roof of the mouth (the hard palate) upwards, -resulting In a -high or -ached palate. This in turn restricts the circumference of the upper jaw, leaving less room for the teeth to erupt, with an inevitable “crowding” of the teeth, and all the evils previously -mentioned following in its wake. It will be obvious to every mother that there is no point in the feeding of her child which, if neglected, may mot •have far-reaching consequences,. The destiny of a child’s teeth is largely settled in its earliest years, and is in the hands, not of the child, but of its parents.