MALNUTRITION

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160723, 9 August 1920, Page 6

MALNUTRITION

AND DENTAL TROUBLES. An average taken over a period of ten years, said Dr. E. H. Wilkins, Chief Medical Officer of Schools, while addressing members of the Educational Institute on Monday evening, showed that nearly 1000 infants died in New Zealand under the age of one month every year, nearly 1500 before they reached the age of one year, and nearly 2000 under the age of five years. The figures, however, were insignificant when compared with the damage done to the remaining children by unhygenic and faulty care and. feeding. The Education Department was shortly issuing a circular calling attention to the more important points of hygiene in the bringing up of children. White bread, he said, was not to he compared with whole meal bread as a food, and it had been most marked that the decay of school children’s teefn Mad been, very much lessened in England during tbe years when “vjm bread” was largely eaten. Decay of the teeth was largely a result of malnutrition. “Tbe immense amount oi sugar that is eaten nowadays does more tban merely destroy tbe teetb,” said Dr. Wilkins, “for the excessive taking oi sugar leads to many of tbe digestive disorders, including a somewhat obscure but very qommonly met trouble, which had been named “mucous disease.” He considered that meat should not be eaten more than once a day, otherwise too'much protein would be taken. Tea was bad for children, for children did not require stimulants. Three meals per day were sufficient, and tbe habit of frequent eating was certainly health destroying. School children required at least ten hours of sleep each night. He considered that teachers could do the greatest good In the teaching of practical hygiene. First and forempst, the child must he taught to keep its mouth clean. Lieut.-Colonel Hunter, Chief Dental Officer, also referred to the need of children being given plain food —cheaper food, by the way—more fruit, which was unfortunately not as cheap as it should be. It had been estimated that 80 or 90 per cent, of school children required dental attention. Dental disease was responsible for a greater number of deaths than any other disease, though it worked more slowly; but it was a disease which could he easily prevented by sensible methods. The Department was instituting a scheme for the teaching of mouth hygiene at schools, and hoped to benefit not only the school child, but others in the home, by means of the example set by the child.