THE PRE-SCHOOL CHILD.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 205, 31 July 1939, Page 2

THE PRE-SCHOOL CHILD.

ADDRESS BY MEDICAL OFFICER. New Zealand children were not as physically fit as they should be, said Dr. Helen Deem, medical officer to the Plunket Society, addressing the delegates to the Wellington mutual provincial conference of 'the society. There "its a percentage not of a good physical standard, and tiie school medical officers’ reports showed there was a definite need for improvement. She looked forward to the time when there would be a big campaign to educate parents on matters of health and correct feeding. Most of them would have noticed, if they lived near a school, the number of children who were eating sweets or cakes before they went home to lunch, and mothers wondered why they had no appetite for their vegetables. If a child’s appetite was satisfied with sweets they could not wuttder at his lack of appetite lor the essential foods at meal times. In referring to the pre-school child, Dr. Deem said that it was most disappointing to see some of them at two. three and four years of ago. So many mothers did not realise the importance of the proper care of the pro-school child, as they thought flint once they were past babyhood thev did not need such careful attention. It was amazing to find the number of children ol two years of ago who did not have a sleep during the daytime and who were not, put to bed early enough. Many looked tired and tlioir general condition was not what it should be. The society was anxious to give the nurses more training in regard to the pre-school child, and Dr. Deem said that site was very pleased that a scheme was on foot in which a nursery school would ho established by the society in conjunction with the Dunedin branch of the Kindergarten Association." The Plunket Society would provide the meals and the Kindergarten Association would arrange for a teacher who would he responsible _ for the management of the children. 'I lie project should lie most beneficial in training Plunket and Karitnne nurses in the care of pre-school children. The Karitnne hospital services filled a very useful purpose in teaching mothereraft. the speaker said. The baby was properly trained so that the mother, when site took her child 1 home, could carry out the correct routine with corresponding benefit in the health and progress of the baby. Statistics showed that the deaths of half of the babies who died in their first year occurred during the first month of life, and in the case of prematures, unless they received expert attention there was very little chance for them. Durin" last, year 25t> premature babies had been admitted to the-various Karitane homes throughout the Dominion, and of that number 17 per cent, had died. However; ns it was generally recognised that 50 to 55 per cent, of the premature babies died, a percentage of 17 per cent, of deaths was a considerable decrease on the average number. A special study of the progress of babies was being made at Auckland by Dr. Henley, the holder of the Lady King Scholarship for this year, Dr. Deem said-.