H—3l

Points worthy of notice in the above findings : The level of nutritional defect remains high, practically the same as last year's high figure—viz., 949 per cent, in 1945, 9-53 per cent, in 1944 in Europeans. The Maori figures have deteriorated a little, 7-94 per cent, in 1945, 6-33 per cent, in 1944. Poor posture shows a definite increase in both Europeans and Maoris in its minor grades, though the level of gross defect is much the same. 19-47 per cent, of slight European impairments in 1944 became 27*51 per cent, in 1945, the corresponding figures for gross defect demanding remedial treatment being 3-05 per cent, in 1945 and 2-53 per cent, in 1944. In Maoris the 10-26 per cent, of 1944 became 16-80 per cent, slight impairments last year, but gross defects were 0-88 per cent, in 1944, reduced to 0-76 per cent, in the last year. This preponderance of poor posture in our schools is probably another indicator of unbalanced dietaries in the homes,"also evidence of parental carelessness in ensuring that children obtain sufficient rest and sleep. Too many of our young children in towns are allowed out at nights when they should be in bed asleep. The Maori children continue to show up unfavourably as compared with Europeans in skin-diseases, dental caries, and pyorrhoea, but seem, as always before, to have superiority in posture, in perfect sets of teeth, in rounded normal jaws, and show less deformed trunks and chests, less adenoids and tonsils or enlarged glands, and less goitre. Health Camps foe Primary-school Children The scheme begun last year of keeping certain health camps open all the year round to take only tuberculous contacts was tried cut, but did not prove successful. The idea has therefore been abandoned, and health camps will continue to admit tuberculous contacts with other children, provided they are shown by physical and x-ray examination to be free from tuberculous disease. Health camps functioned all the year round, some permanently, and some in the summer only, for children selected by the school medical and nursing staff. The Medical State of Pre-school Children, 1945 There has been an improvement in pre-school child nutrition, which was subnormal in 10-34 per cent, in 1944 and in 8-86 per cent in 1945. There is also less dental caries, 9-90 per cent, in 1944 falling to 7-48 per cent, in 1945. These are the only significant changes in the figures from the previous year. It is disappointing to find 10 - 3 per cent, of mothers voluntarily admitting their children get insufficient sleep, and a further 7-4 per cent, not bothering to put toddlers down for a daytime rest. Pre-school Medical Inspection Summary Number of children seen .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 7,357 Number of defects found— Number. Percentage. Anaemia .. . . .. .. .. .. .. 298 4 • 05 Uncleanliness .. .. .. .. .. .. 24 0-32 Subnormal nutrition .. .. .. .. .. .. 652 8• 86 Protuberant abdomen .. .. .. .. .. 320 4 • 34 Posture defective .. .. .. .. .. .. 192 2-60 Deformities — Chest .. .. .. .. .. .. 155 Legs .. .. " .. .. .. .. 324 Feet .. .. .. .. .. .. 665 1,144 15-54 Skin-diseases .. .. .. .. .. .. 316 4-29 Heart: organic defects .. .. .. .. .. 74 1-00 Lungs .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 82 1-11 Dental—■ Gums and soft tissues .. .. .. .. .. 32 0-43 Dental caries .. .. .. .. •• .. 551 7-48 Nose and throat— Adenoids .. .. .. .. .. .. 321 4-36 Tonsils .. .. .. .. .. •• .. 994 13-51

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