INFANCY AND ADULT HEALTH

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 257, 24 July 1920, Page 9

INFANCY AND ADULT HEALTH

Dr. Wilkins, Director of School Sledioal Services) rend a paper at yesterday's continuation of the Flunket Conference, doalirig with the j-elatlon betweon infancy and early childhood and tliß future health of the individual. Ho quoted statistics showing th& number of deaths of children in their first year nnd the causes that were accountable for theso deaths.' As the children grew older the rate of infantile mortality grew less, but many of .thoso who did not. die during their first year of lifo suffered later on from defects caused by lack of proper care and .diet during that time. Dental diseuses wo ft very great factor, possibly the greatest factor m undermining the hieialth of the nation, nnd errors in infant feeding were a great cause of dental disease. The medical inspection of schools had brought to light many .defects amonfr the children, notably rickets, shown in malformation of the chest nnd spine. Twice as many bottle-fed children and those fed on pntent foods suffered in this way as did the babiea who wore breast fe'd. Scliiool conditions and school furniture were blamed for many things, especially deformities, but they were often due to malnutrition. Touching upon tho falling birth-rate, Dr. Wilkins acknowledged that it. was partly due to social and economic causes over -which people had but little control, but at least thev control to a- large extent the health of their children if they only eared to exercise that control Dr. Wilkins was, heartily thanked for his paper.