TUBERCULOSIS AND BIRTH

Taranaki Daily News, 18 October 1930, Page 9

TUBERCULOSIS AND BIRTH

NO HEREDITARY infection. PREVENTION OF THE DISEASE. In view of tho present controversy regarding tho presence of the tuberculosis germ in children the following statement by Dr. T. C. Alacintyre, Medical Director of tho Cashmere Sanatorium, Christchurch, should prove of interest. A cliild at birth, he states, is absolutely free of tuberculosis; eveil if the mother is in an advanced stage of the disease. ' In other words, all infection is acquired after birth, and is not hereditary. Experiments on cattle have shown that when a calf is removed from its mother immediately after birth and fed on the boiled milk from tho mother, it will grow up free of tuberculosis, provided it is kept in a non-infccted herd.

If a child is in a home with a tuberculosis parent, the child and the parent must bo separated, either by putting the parent in a sanatorium or placing the child, as is often done in Franco, with a healthy family in the cointty, thus applying the principle of the removal of the calf front its infected mother. It was found in Fiance that of 787 children born of tuberculosis parents, 323 who were sent away soon after, birth to the country and brought up by healthy parents all remained well, whereas of the remaining 464 who were left with the parents 328 developed tuberculosis in some fonrt by tli. time adult ago was reached. This removal would practically mean the suppression of the disease, and certainly proves, cohtiary to the popular belief, hint it m '!« hereditary. The Fresh Air Home, in connection with the Cashmere Sanatorium. is an Oflcrt in this direction, though unfortunately it is sometimes necessary to serd the child back to its old surroundings. - If the parent is not removed to a sanatorium it is necessary to point out the dangers of infection and the precautions that should be taken such as sleeping alone on a balcony or in a very Well-ventilated room, not coughing near tile child, nor kissing it, especially oi? the mouth. The lingers should not be rubbed over sore gums, and the child should not be fed with a spoon or given a hone that has been in the parent’s mouth. In fact, the best rules are those of ordinary politeness which would be observed to an older peisoit. Care must also be exercised in regard to other inembers of the household—for example, grandparents may be suffering from tuberculosis under tile name ci chronic bronchitis. Nursemaids should receive particular attention also. Whatever member of the family is affected must bo very careful to> disros of the sputum, either by spitting into n flask or handkerchief, and seeing that it is burnt on a good fire. The milk supply should be beyond Suspicion. The best milk is that which ■ comes from herds which have been tested every six months ibid found to be free from tubercle bacilli, otherwise all milk given to young children should be boiled before use. Children going to school are not so much in contact with their parents and mix more with their schoolfellows who do not, as a rule, suffer from lung tuberculosis. That the opportunities for infection with tuberculosis are comparatively rare, and consequently the deathrate froili consumption at this age is quite loij- - - . : .