OUR BABIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22738, 26 November 1935, Page 21

OUR BABIES

By Hygeia.

Published under the auspices of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children (Plunket Society). "It i* wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to main, tain an ambulance at the bottom."

VITAMINS. INFLUENCE OF VITAMINS UPON THE HEALTH AND HABITS OF THE BABY.

In our last week's article by Nurse M'Kay on the subject of training the child in clean habits sho speaks of possible causes which may be responsible ior lack of control in the matter of bedwetting. One important point she stresses is that of diet. She has suggested that "less starchy foods and more vegetables and fruit, and perhaps a special course of vitamin B, the nerve vitamin, may help matters considerably." This, of course, will not apply to the child who is fed on a well-balanced diet given at regular and stated times.

We hear a good deal nowadays on the subject of well-balanced meals, and it is important that we should understand what is meant by the term, and apply our knowledge in a sensible way without becoming "fanatics" on the subject of food. Our present-day foods undergo so many processes of refining before they reach the table that it has become more and more important that we take some thought of the matter and try to realise just what the effect upon the body is when it is deprived of some of the most valuable properties in food. If we took our food in its natural state, or even if the larger proportion of our daily diet consisted of raw fresh vegetables and fruit and cereals not subjected to refining processes, we would scarcely need to concern ourselves about the matter. However, as a result of diseases caused by the complete lack of these vital substances in the diet, scientists and others have been led to investigate the possible causes, and as a result of extensive experiments have proved that the cause has been due to the complete removal or destruction of the vital substances usually contained in food in its natural state.

It is important to grasp the fact that, though the individual may not develop the definite disease caused by acute shortage of the vital substances, yet they may suffer much vague ill-health and gonerally be "just a little below par' as a result of deficiency of these substances. In the case of the child "proper growth and physical perfection" is not what it should be. There may be poor appetite, indigestion, constipation, pallor and listlessness, and lack of "the wild joy of living." '.'.'•

The following extract is from a book entitled "The Vitamins of Health and Disease," by Professor Sure, Ph.D.: " What causes the loss of appetite on diets deficient in vitamin B ? The answer is that there is loss of hunger contractions due to damaging of the muscles of the stomach by lack of vitamin B. These muscles normally contract in the absence of food and the sensation of hunger ensues. When the muscles are damaged they lose their 'tone' or strength to contract."

Each of the vital substances which we know as vitamins serves its own particular function in the body, and this particular vitamin B; as indicated above, is responsible for the upkeep of the nervous system, and thus the control and proper functioning of all the muscles of our body. When there is lack of vitamin B the muscles lose their tone for want of proper nerve stimulus and control, and there is subsequent limpness and poor functioning as a result. As well as these vital yet elusive things called vitamins, it is also necessary that food should contain a plentiful supply of mineral salts. These also have important and particular functions to perform in our bodies. That of building bones we all know about, but there is also another duty they perform, that of regulating the reaction of the blood. Normally this should be neither acid nor alkaline, but when the diet consists of foods which produce too much acid in the system the blood stream also becomes slightly acid, and as a result the excretions ot the body are more acid than is normal, and, as in the case of the urine, may have an irritating effect, which may affect the control the child usually exerts over the passing of water. The foods producing an acidity in the system are highly refined starchy foods, refined sugars, jam and sweets, for instance; also protein foods —for example, meat, fish, and eggs. A certain amount of these foods, especially the latter three, are needed in the diet, and are balanced, or their acid effects counteracted, by the foods which have an alkaline reaction, vegetables', fruit, and unrefined cereals particularly. These last-mentioned foods are also the best sources for vitamin B, so that if they are ensured in the diet in sufficient amounts (say, some at each meal, and forming the largest portion of the diet) there will be no.need to worry about a special course of vitamin B. This only becomes necessary when the right foods have been excluded from the diet to such an extent that there is definite deficiency of vitamin B and marked ill-health as a result. In such an instance the use of concentrated forms of vitamin B . . . may be advised:

Always bear in mind that " prevention is better than cure," and the consistent giving of the right food, day by day, is better than resorting to expensive cures when harm is done.