DIVISION OF SCHOOL HYGIENE

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 26, 25 October 1921, Page 6

DIVISION OF SCHOOL HYGIENE

WORKING OF THE PaST YEAR RESULT OF INSPECTIONS ' SOURCES OF ILL-HEALTH t Interesting information about tho health of school children is contained in the report of the Director of the Division of School Hygiene (Dr. E. H. Wilkins) for the year ended March 31 last.

"During the year,” the report states, “1356 schools were visited, and the result of tho examination (partial or complete) of 78,980 children recorded. Of those who were examined in the routine way. an average of 79 per cent, was returned as having physical or mental defect of some kind. In interpreting this percentage it should be understood that under the heading of 'dental decay’ are recorded only those cases with carious permanent teeth, or more than three carious temporary teeth —i.e., an average of 54.6 per cent, for all districts. Tho number of children with perfect sets of teeth is probably not more than 2or 3 per cent. Effort was concentrated particularly upon the routine examination of the entrant and primer classes, to which the following figures largely refer. . Some of the percentages of. defect are therefore not so high as those obtained in previous years, when Standard II was examined for statistical purposes. ."Impaired nutrition was found prosent in 7.25 per cent. I should emphasise that these figures represent only such cases as are not referable to any other heading. For instance, deformity of the chest affid dental caries are well-recognised indications of faulty nutrition. Others, again, are included under less definite headings, such ,aa 'anaemia’ and 'suspected tuberculosis.’ "Deformity of trunk and chest was found present in 23.8 per cent. This figure includes not only cases of such definite deformity aS , pigeon-breast, spinal curvation, and so on, but also cases of faulty posture, associated with round shoulders and flat chest. These habitual faults of posture, unless corrected, develop in time into fixed ds fdrmijties. It is for this type especially that the 'corrective class’ with its special physical exercises is devised. "Defective vision was detected in i per cent, of those examined. This figure is probably below that of the' actual defect existing, as the test was applied by some, officers only where defect was suspected. The result of previous examination of children in Standard II gives 10 per cent, suffering from defective vision.

"Obstructed breathing occurs to some extent in 19.0 per cent, of children, in the following proportions: Adenoids, 2.8 per cent.; enlarged tonsils, 13.4 pet cent.; adenoids and enlarged tonsils, .2.8 per cent. Many of these cases show obstructed breathing to slight degree, and, by well-regulated breathing exercises and physical drill, improve without operation.

Children Should Be Much Healthier, "The health of the school children of New Zealand certainly must be regarded as very much below what it ought to be in a country having such advantages in climate, prosperity, and general welfare. It is true that the average height and weight in relation to age is higher in New Zealand than in England, but more pertinent -indices of health are to be found in the states of the teeth, the presence or absence of cliest deformity, anaemia, adenoids, and unhealthy tonsils. Dental disease is practically universal, though a steadily increasing number of children now receive dental treatment.* One medical officer states: As compared with conditions found some years ago there is evidence of gradual but distinct improvement in the care taken of the teeth. Schools not previously'- visited by medical officers compare unfavourably with those jegularly inspected. Undoubtedly there is yet a vast field' for reform,...but the fact remains that parents“as a whole are more alive to the importance t of a clean mouth than they were.” "Concerning chest deformity, one of the ,chief manifestations of rickets in New Zealand, one medical officer states: 'ln my opinion the percentage of chest deformity reflects meet accurately the general health and conditions of the children, and is therefore of the utmost valirn in estimating the relative importance of the different factors which go to cause illhealth and p-hysical defects.' Another officer says: It is interesting to compare the result of tho examination of children of the entrant class with that of older children. The proportion of malnutrition is approximately the same as in children of Standard II: physical deformity is rather more frequent. Rickety manifestations appear much' too often; especially in a few schools of the poorer areas. Thus, in one city school thirty-three out of fifty-eight young children showed physical deformity, with rickets as the chief underlying factor. Setter supervision of the child in the pre-school period; better education of the mother in matters of feeding, clothing, etc.; better housing conditions, with baths, proper sanitation,, and accessible fresh-air spaces, are among the things urgently needed. "In connection with tho subject of the home 'conditions of children a report from one district states: ‘ln New Zealand the necessity of giving relief to the mothers of large families is very great. The children of women who are overworked continuously before and after birth cannot ’have the vitality necessary for robust growth. Local organisations—as tho residential nurseries of the Women's National Reserve, the Mothers’ Help Organisation, and so on—are of great benefit in cases of urgency, hut their Activities are necessarily ’inadequate for the great need ' Effects of Overwork. "The overworking of children out of school hours, especially amongst share milkers, not only continues to prove a Serious impediment to their school work, but also is associated with a high degree of physical defect and impaired nutrition. In this connection tho following conclusions, arrived at by a head lpacl ' er during five years of observation of the same set of children, are of special interest :— Standards -V and V.T (eight girls, two boys): Four milkers-ayerago work poor. One defective sightwork poor. Five non-milkers—work good; neat, clean, ami active. Standards HI and IV (tour girls, two boys): Four milkers—work poor, unreliable, untidy, and showing sighs of fatigue. Two non-milkers-work quite satisfactory. . Standards I and II (five girls, two boys) • Three milkers—progress small. Four non-milkers— progress normal.

"In nearly every case the mother, in addition to performing house duties, does milking and other hard work outaide Normal children cannot hold their own even if only milking three hours a day. I have proved this during five years of 'starting the season/ "Tn a. preliminary inquiry into the home conditions end diet in twenty-five cases of city children suffering from malnutrition and severe physical defects, the following predominating factors were elicited: (1) A large incidence of infections disease, especially measles ( and whooping-cough; 12) want of adequate ventilation in the 'home; (3) crowded and dirty sleeping conditions; (4) in many cases discordant parental relationship and indifference towards the welfare ot

their children; (5) in some cases drink is a serious disturbing element; (6) an insufficiency of fresh milk, dairy products and eggs, milk often being taken only as condensed milk; (7) meat is often of the small goods variety or tinned; (8) an insufficiency of fresh vegetables, especially greens; (9) an insufficiency of fruit; (10) in spite of comparative poverty, in many cases 'if good deal is spent on sweets. “The diet of these children thus consists mainly of while bread, sugar, meat, root .vegetables, and preserved fcod—a combination known Io be seriously deficient in several important respects. The superior nourishing value of wheatmeal bread in place of white bread; the importance of green vegetables and fresh fruit as regular constituents of the diet; 4ie vaiuo of a certain amount of fresh milk of butter, cheese, and eggs; and the ’harm done by the indiscriminate consumption of sugar, sweets and confectionery —these are some of the matters which are receiving special emphasis in the propaganda of the division.