HEALTH OF CHILDREN

Hokitika Guardian, 6 May 1929, Page 2

HEALTH OF CHILDREN

HELPING THE BACKWARD

COTTAGE HOMES OR INSTITUTION.

WELLINGTON, May 1

There can be little doubt about the value of the health camp, inaugurated at Turakina by Dr. Elizabeth Gunn, for the benefit of school children who are backward in physical health, anti in consequence are handicapped in the education they receive in the primary school. The same remarks apply to the smaller scale health camp conducted at Weraroa Training Farm, under the Wellington Education Board, to which the children in the special classes are sent for a period of about three weeks once a year.

Successful as the health camps have been, »t is felt that they do not go far enough. If in the course of the year the children slip back, the health eamp treatment cannot be repeated until the next annual camp comes round. COTTAGE HOMES. it is hoped in the very near future to make an appeal to the public for support in extending this work on permanent lines, possibly in the form of cottage homes or similar institutions, to winch children—not only in the spec ini classes, hut in all the primal,v schools— may he sent if their state of health warrants it. Dr. Ada Paterson, who is the head of the school hygiene division, stated to a “Dominion” reporter yesterday that the health camps had done excellent work, hut better,work could he done if more facilities were provided. She thought something in the nature of cottage homes in charge of foster mothers was the type of scheme which would meet the need. School memenl authorities, she said, would recognise the tremendous advantage it would be to have such an institution where children could he sent at any time to recuperate and build up. Oil or neai the East Coast would be an ideal place for such a home. RESPONSE TO TREATMENT. Great success had attended the camp at Turakina, under Dr. Gunn, said Dr Paterson ; where children suffering from malnutrition, and its attendant evils, had derived wonderful benefit. They went to the camp showing evidence of debility and lack of vitality/ but the change had done wonders, increasing their weight and developing the body generally. The average weight at the commencement would be round about four stone, and in a period df five weeks the increase in weight was. from five to eight pound which was still short of the weight for age and height, except that in one or two exceptional cases the response to good plain food, fresh air and exercise resulted in the child’s weight increasing even beyond the normal for age and height. MAKE HEALTHY CITIZENS.

In the health camps, said Dr. Paterson, they lived almost out olf doors, a liberal food supply involving the specially free use of milk and fresh fruit and vegetables, sun bathing, physical exercises and some amusements, besides a great deal of bodily rest, which did a world of good. Under tins treatment they improved physically and mentally, were more cheerful and happy, and with this stimulation on body and mind, their work in school improved in proportion and they were being put on the way to becoming healthy citizens.

Dr. Paterson was hopeful that an organisation would soon be in existence which would place the health camps on a sound basis by providing permanent institutions along the lines indicated, so that a wider group of children would benefit permanently. Such an institution would enable them to treat children more readily and at a time when they wore susceptible to it. Such work as this, added Dr Paterson was the truest way of proving that pre volition was better than fine.