CHILD MALNUTRITION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22584, 24 November 1936, Page 6

CHILD MALNUTRITION

THE OUTSTANDING CAUSES LACK OF SLEEP A FACTOR [from OUR OWN" correspondent] LONDON, Nov. 4 The public were once more reminded with regard to the feeding of schoolchildren how fallacious in the implied emphasis on food, which is only, . a single, if important, factor in nutrition. Sir Kingsley Wood, Minister of Health, told a deputation from Industrial Women's Organisations that \ylieu the report of Reorganisation Committee was received an immediate examination would be made as to the extension of milk schemes generally, "The milk-in-schools scheme." he said, "is now in operation in schools containing over 90 per cent oE the elementary school population, but rather less than half the children are taking advantage of it." it was already clear that poverty was not the prime difficulty. They had to get a greater appreciation of the value of milk among both parents and children. The major criticisms of the deputation were that large sections of the population were unable to afford an adequate diet, and that present methods of assessing malnutrition were unsatisfactory. , . Sir Kingsley promised that the suggestions made by the deputation would be carefully considered. He quoted the following figures for the nutritional standard of 1,600.000 schoolchildren: Excellent, "14.6 per cent; normal, 74.1 per cent; slightly sub-normal, 10.6 per cent; bad, 0.7 per cent. The Minister emphasised that malnutrition was not solely concerned with lack of food. On the question of the proper feeding of schoolchildren, official medical reports lay emphasis on other factors, particularly lack of sleep. Sir George Newman, as chief medical officer to the board, reported in 191that "healthy and complete nutrition is something infinitely greater than mere feeding of a child." He listed eleven causes "governing decline in nutritional condition" in schoolchildren, of which the first five are as follows: (1) Food-insufficiency and unsmtability; (2) Bad home surroundings am neglect; (3) Lack of fresh air and sunlight; (4) Unsuitable sleeping arrangements; and (5) Insufficient sleep. The present view is that "insufficient sleep" has how moved up into the second place as a cause of malnutrition; and more generally, as Sir George Newman pointed out. that the problem requires to be considered and treated as a whole. Health experts are also unanimous in emphasising the close connection between housing and nutrition boti ns*" regards sleeping s accommodation, hygienic conditions generally and tne provision of adequate cooking facilities.