OUR BABIES

Waikato Independent, Volume XXIV, Issue 3223, 24 May 1924, Page 2

OUR BABIES

(By "Hygela.") (Published under the auspices of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children). "It is wiser to put up a fence at the top or a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom." GIVING SWEETS AND RUINING THE TEETH. Colonel Hunter (as Director of Dental Hygiene) and Dr Truby King (as Director of Child Welfare) are constantly receiving protests from sensible people, especially parents, against the giving of sweets to their children. The following letter is a typica'l example:— A Parent's Letter. "Dear Sir, —I a.m. taking the liberty Of calling your attention to the enclosed cutting which appeared in the press recently (see Hie words underlined), in the hope that you may take what opportunity offers, by propaganda, etc., to point out again to the general'public, especially parents and children, the injury caused to the teeth bv sweets.'-'

The newspaper cutting enclosed.gave a laudatory account of a treat given to some hundreds of children by a philanthropic social organisation, and described how the youngsters were taken to a bright, evening entertainment. Then occurred the words underlined: "As the little ones tropped into the hall they were each handed a bag of sweets."

The writer then continued:— "I noticed recently that at an otherwise excellent Day Nursery lollies are given nearly every day to the children sent there.

"Every conceivable opportunity seems to be taken to give children these injurious things. It would be good for the community if lollies and other damaging sweets could be prohibited like strong drink; but, of course, that would not be hoard of. The only thing one can do is to ask. some person in authority, such as yourself, and whom the public will take some notice of, to urge people, to refrain-from giving lolies to children. At our own home we have great difficulty in preventing kind (?) friends giving lollies, cakes, etc., to our youngster, who has, so far at least, never had anything at all between meals in the way of food, and ever any lollies or cakes at: any time. "Could you be bothered to say something in the Press?—Yours, etc." Comment by Hygeia.

A letter of this kind has the entire sympathy of all those who can speak with authority on the matter complain? ed of. Long ago Dr Pickerill (the Professor of Dentistry at Otago University) stated, soon after his arrival in the Dominion, that he found far more decay of the teeth among the children in New Zealand than he did at Home, though he had had extensive experience among the poor of the Old Country. Indeed, he stated that, in his opinion, the fact of our children being given more money to spend, and their spending it on sweets, was the very cause of their having such bad teeth. It was not poverty, but being too well off, that was ruining the teeth of our children. Many people would say that our correspondent's idea of restricting the temptation offered to children in the way of sweets and cakes between meals was all fadism and nonsense. How is it, then, that the two leading- dental authorities in this country (Colonel Hunter and Professor Pickerill) have expressed themselves even more emphatically in the same direction than the parent whose letter I am dealing with. They, too, feel very strongly in'deed that ruinous and irresistible, temptations ought not to be placed in the way of children, and that strong measures should be taken to prevent this vicious custom. The same views are held by Dr Sim Wallace, Dr Harry Campbell, and the other leading authorities at Home, so that our correspondent is in good company —if that is any consolation to him.

'i'he amazing- tiling is that in this stage of civilisation there are many people who have not risen. above the level of feeding animals in the Zoo wiht buns and nuts —that this is the length of their ideas as to how to give pleasure to their own progeny. More amazing still is the fact that in many of our schools the children are actually given "pieces" between meals as part of the daily routine, and that in schools generally no attempt is made to prevent: children eating most of their lunch at playtime, when only half through the morning. When is mankind going to realise that the body is worth some care and attention, and that the development of mind, morals, and character are largely dopendent on health and fitness. Plunket Nurse GoulsU ae, telepl.oac 192 M, office 102 S. Mrs J. W. Peake. Sec, Plunkct Society, telephone 141 M.