PRE-SCHOOL CHILD

Temuka Leader, Issue 10489, 31 December 1929, Page 1

PRE-SCHOOL CHILD

AN INTERESTING LECTURE. DIRECTOR OF PLUNKET NURSING. The Medical Director of Plunket Nursing (Dr. Derrick) gave an address on “The Needs of the PreSchool Child” in St. Augustine’s Hall, under the auspices of the Waimate branch of the Plunket Society. Dr. Derrick dealt lucidly and interestingly with his subject. The deputy-Mayor (Mr W. G. Paul) presided over a good attendance including the president (Mrs E. C. Studholine) and executive officers of the Wainiate Plunket Society, and Nurse Austin. Mr Paul introduced the speaker. Bridging a Gap in the Work.

Dr. Derrick said his visit was to stimulate interest which in the smaller towns was sometimes liable to de cline. A movement had been started by the Society in the interests of the health of children of pre-school age. During the past year 52,000 of these older children had visited the Plunket Society’s rooms in the Dominion, and the time had arrived when it was found that more time would have to be devoted by the Society to the health of the children of this age. There was or rather had been, a gap between the stage which the Society had been undertaking and the denial clinic stage.

The health of the mother was also a charge on the Society, and it was hoped that the Plunket Society in New Zealand would meet with the same measure of success during the next 22 years as it had done during the 22 years it had been in existence.

The question of teeth in children was a most important one, and it was frequently found that when the chiklren were brought under the school dental service it was too late to remedy defects which had developed. The work would have to be undertaken at a nearlier stage, and correspondence had been received from the New Zealand Dentists’ Association making inquiries on the subject, and inviting suggestions with a view to their possibly co-

operating in the work. Rickets and Postural Defects. Rickets and postural defects were troubles which the Society was fighting. Mr White, of Dunedin, had stated that 90 per cent, of Dunedin children suffered more or less from rickets. In both, forms of trouble in children the source was largely a question of teeth and diet, dating back to the expectant mother. They were trying to instruct mothers as to diet. Developing tooth buds appeared in the jaw of an infant seven months before birth, and it was essential that the mother’s diet should contain a sufficiency of calcium, phosphorus and vitamins. If vitamins were deficient through defective diet, calcium and phosphorus would be deficient also, and wholemeal bread, green food, milk and eggs were essential to health. The liver of a newly-born child should contain a store of iron sufficient to last six months, and if a mother’s diet had been deficient in articles which contain these essentials, it would follow that the child’s teeth would be defective. Pulp}, pappy food for children lodged round the teeth and caused decay, and their meals should always finish with a course that would cleanse the teeth.

Mastication Necessary. Mastication was also necessary, and when pap food was given the flow of blood to the gums was not occasioned, and the teeth suffered in consequence. Dr. Derrick explained how the high arched palate was caused through insufficient use of the jaws, and illustrated how the teeth of Maoris were usually better than those of Europeans, owing to their diet calling for more mastication. A raw apple was excellent to conclude a meal, as apart from cleansing the teeth, it would prevent constipation and provide vitamins.

Advantage of Exercise. To prevent rickets there should be a sufficiency of calcium and phosphorous, by feeding on grains, milkand eggs. Personal hygiene in cleanliness and a sufficiency of sunlight (which produced the important Vitamin D under the skin) were most important to health. Postural defects were frequently caused by rickets. Muscular weakness was a marked sigh of rickets, I which could be avoided considerably ■by muscular exercise, plenty of play and plenty of fresh air and sunshine. A nervous child might inherit some of the defects, but heredity was largely caused by environment. The nervous child was often produced by faulty upbringing, such as dietetic or other errors. To train the mothers to train the child was aimed at by the Society, and this could be largely, done through preventive measures in the matter of diet. Dyspeptic children were usually the result of defective diet. Their efforts were to produce normal, healthy children, and keep the children normal and healthy.

Dr. Derrick said it was most important to prevent young children from contracting ailments peculiar to infants for as long a period as possible. The younger the child was when it took a disease the greatci the chance that the health of the child would be affected. The Society hoped in years to come to produce a race of people such as had never been seen on this earth. At the conclusion of his address Dr. Derrick was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.