OUR BABIES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 100, 30 April 1938, Page 3

OUR BABIES

SHOULD CHILDREN HAVE SWEETS?

(By

"Hygeia.”)

Time and again we are asked this question, and would present this article in the hope that parents will have a better understanding why we do not advocate the giving of sweets to children. The conditions of “acidosis” has been mentioned as a nursery complaint, and as a part of the treatment for this is an increase of pure sugar in the diet thoughtful mothers ask whether it would not be better to be more liberal with the sugar bowl as a preventive measure.

We do not propose to go into the cause, prevention and treatment of acidosis in this article, but to place before you the reasons why Plunket nurses discourage visits to the sweet shops and the perpetual sucking of sweets which is so commonly seen today.

The standard before us must always be the normal. We should not expect our children to have any difficulty in the digestion of a normal amount of fat, for instance. If such difficulty should arise then we take special precautions. The great majority of children take a well-bal-anced diet without difficulty. The question is, then, should normal children have sweets—once a day, once a week, or if they have been good, or when they ask for them, or if an adoring aunt, uncle or grandparent arrives with an offering of chocolates or the latest exciting Easter eggs? As most of us know, the three chief food elements are carbohydrate, fat and protein. The name “carbohydrate” is used to cover two big groups—that of sugars and starches. Most sugars are quickly absorbed into the blood stream, and so an excess of sugar would prove a serious matter if the blood became over-saturated. Starches have to be converted into sugar in the process of digestion. This sugar then reaches the blood stream more slowly and in lesser quantities in proportion to the satisfaction of the appetite.

Let us take breast milk as a standard for judging. We find that a child needs four or five times as much sugar or starch as he does of protein, and almost twice as much as he does of fat. How does the toddler get this? How much of the protein goods (egg, fish and milk) does he get in proportion to the starchy goods (such as twice-baked bread, cereals, potatoes, and other vegetables) ? Don’t forget that every form of starch turns to sugar in the body. The digestive juices necessary for the conversion of starches are not developed in the young baby, so he cannot be expected to deal with such foods. But from the time these juices are ready, we steadily decrease tn? ration of soluble sugar and increase that of the starch—cereal jellies and crusts. When we do give sugar it is best given in the form of fresh or dried fruits and honey, but these are not given to the normal baby till the end of his first year. Having considered these points, what should be our attitude towards the giving of sweets?

The nursery ideal would be “no sweets allowed,” but in many instances a compromise is inevitable. An occasional sweet given at mealtimes may be better than making the children self-conscious and rebellious. But if children are not accustomed to seeing sweets about they will not think of them, especially if their ration of fruit be a liberal one.

When sweets are given the plain boiled variety, such as barley sugar, made by a reliable firm, is best. Above all do not give sweets in between

meals, at bedtime, or as a form of bribe or reward, taking the place of true discipline. The child who continually teases for sweets is developing the habit of self-indulgence and laying the foundation of building a

poor character. Those parents who give their children chocolate because •‘lit is nourishing” are confessing that their manner of dieting their iamily is at fault. The average child should , get all he needs for building good bone, muscles, and tissues from a plain mixed menu. Concentrated extras will defeat their own end by making the child faddy and spoiling his appetite and palate for plainer and more health-giving foods. At this stage may we condemn wholeheartedly the practice of sprinkFng sugar over the food to be eaten. | Cereals and such foods need no added j sugar. Fruits should be cooked with | enough sugar to be made palatable,! and if the child has not been made j familiar with the habit of transferring some of the contents of the sugar bowl to his food he will not have his i appetite perverted. Indeed, it would! be better if the sugar bowl did not! make its appearance on the meal i table at all. Plenty of good sugars’ ar? available in such foods as raisins, dates, fruits and honey. In conclusion, let no parent imagine that the normal child is going to miss anything for his ultimate good if he never has a sweet in his life, and remember that nothing is so bad for the teeth as the continued sucking of sweets.