OUR BABIES

Waikato Independent, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2991, 20 April 1933, Page 7

OUR BABIES

(By “Hygcia.”)

KEEPING THE BODY STRAIGHT.

Parents know to their very litoral-

cost how many children require treatment for the correction of defects — remedial exercises for round shoulders, flat feet, or what not in'the way of defective posture, not to mention the expenso of correction of crooked teeth and other dental deformities; Most of the defects need never occur —would never

occur —if two main principles were understood and carried out: 1. The body must be built rightly;

2. It must be used rightly. For tho body to be built rightly the child must have sunshine, fresh air, and good food. Good food means a'simple, regular, well-varied diet, in which is

included abundanco of fresh vegetables

and fruit, wholemeal grains and fresh * dairy products (milk and butter), and eggs in moderation. Eight use of the body implies the

following things: (1) Regular habits; (2) good exercise; (3) real and sufficient, rest; (4) watchful care to prevent cramping from any cause and the adoption of one-sided movements or any sort of incorrect habitual position. W Faulty Positions.

Ifrom the very beginning faulty positions must bo watched for and. guarded against. The rapidly growing baby frame is soft and pliable to a degree, and “as a twig is bent the tree grows.’ ’ The cot and pram must be fully long enough to allow the child to stretch right out. The mattress must be firm without any sag. An old mattress sagging in the middle is a very bad bed for any child. A canvas camp bed is far better. Avoid old soft kapoc or feather mattresses; they not. only tend to produce wrong positions during sleep but. are. also enervating. A good hair mattress is best. If kapoc must be used the bed should be full and well studded. For babies and young children a loose shakedown of winnowings of chaff placed on top of a firm hair mattress makes an ideally soft, warm, and yet healthy bed.

Pillows are unnecessary for babies or any small children. High pillows are definitely injurious, and produce very bad posture, round shoulders, and narrow chests. If a pillow is used at all, it should bo very thin and small. Visualise tho natural position of the child’s body at rest —the spine flat and the head on a level with the trunk. Children naturally tend to sleep lying

almost chest downwards, with the head turned to one side and the knees slightly drawn up. This makes any tendency to rounding of the shoulders impossible during sleep. High pillows and soft beds prevent the adoption of this natural position.

Carrying books to and from school is a source of joy to most youngsters, but weight-carrying is bad for growing children, and should be avoided as far as possible. Where it is unavoidable the despatch case (so commonly affected by the smallest school mites these days) is probably best, and children should be taught to use alternate arms. Tho satchel with the shoulder strap usually begins a habit of raising one shoulder to keep tho strap well hitched up. The satchel with alternate shoulder straps (such as hikers use) tends to act as a corrective and can be used either by the child who walks or the one who rides to school.

Watch for habits of standing on one leg, sitting crooked, slumping the shoulders, and so on. Sometimes the child can bo cured of a postural fault if taken in time bv placing him or her undressed before a long mirror and pointing out the difference between the good and bad positions, stressing the ugliness of the bad. Chairs and tables or desks used by children for any length of time must be adapted to their size and of such construction as will not tend to produce faulty structure. Most schools are finite up to date in equipment, nowadays, but parents have every right to inquire into this matter. Half an hour during the day spent lying on the floor with relaxed muscles (not an arched back) is good if there is any tendency to round shoulders. If someone can read aloud this is an excellent way of spending a rest period, even for perfectly well-set-up children. Avoid encouraging young babies to sit up or “feel their feet” before they are ready, and especially when vigorously trying to do so alone.